Inside CIID

Together with Andreas Brøgger and Isabel Froes, CIID’s David A. Mellis recently taught a four-week course to the 2nd year students of interactive media at the Designskolen Kolding. The students were asked to design an interactive installation for the museum in Søros, serving one of two purposes:

• to present the digital archives of the museum (which includes many works not on display) in the physical space of the museum, or
• to accompany an upcoming exhibit on art in the industrial age.

The course started with an understanding of the museum context, including a sampling of the history and theory of museums and a visit to Søros. Then students were encouraged to prototype their design ideas, test them with people, and revise them accordingly. Prototyping tools used included Arduino, Processing, and Flash, along with various physical materials. Below are some of the final projects created by the students in the course.

This oddly-shaped door provides a portal into the “secret” collection of the museum. Digitized images of archived works are displayed on a computer screen behind the keyhole. Each handle serves a different purpose: one changes the image viewed, the others trigger audio commentary on the work or its technique. Project by Mathias Damgård.

These gears – some physical, some virtual – let museum visitors navigate though images from the industrial age. The large virtual gear at the top displays photos of the period, while the smaller gear at the left shows exhibited works from the same time. This juxtaposition exposes visitors to the social context of the art pieces. Project by Tejs Holm and Mads Köser.

This project has two parts. The first is a box with a cutout of two eyes and a nose, to be placed outside the museum or at the entrance. When you look inside, you get a live view of the interior of the museum. But rather than simply viewing the image from a webcam inside, you’re actually peering out through the eyes of a painting – a framed screen showing a digitized image of a portrait with your eyes super-imposed. Visitors within the museum can see your eyes and watch you peering around the room. When no one’s looking into the box, the portrait closes its eyes. Project by Ulla Maria Aude and Asker Strandby.