Multi screen/audio rigs for mid to big scale exhibitions?

[Carl Rohumaa]

Hi,
I am for the very first time organising and curating an art exhibition in a major art space in London. Its all going to be motion video graphics and interactive media stuff for 20 days! I am scared! Rather than just install stuff in a fixed way I would like to make a rig that will be able to output work to screens and projections dynamically to the different spaces. That way I can make an hours worth of rotating works and fit in more artists too. Like turning the whole space into a single dynamic installation with loads of content.

My questions are does anybody have any experience of this kind of set up? Anybody got any good contacts for large screen/projector equipment hire. And anybody got experience of projecting onto glass. There are some pretty large windows in one of the spaces. This exhibition is not until march 09 but I am still bricking it. Any help, wise words much appreciated.

[Adam Montandon]

Hey Carl,

Yes, that is something I could possibly help you with some advice and things.

There is a software program called Watchout, that is very easy to use, and allows you to set up different screens. Its very much like an advanced version of powerpoint. Its used a lot in rock concerts where you have lots of screens of different sizes.

Each screen is driven by its own PC, but they are all connected via watchout, so you can split / merge signals all over the place.

There are lots of places to hire from. but for tons of screens for 20 days it would be worth calling lots of companies.

Also, for projecting onto glass, this can be very tricky, especially in daylight, as you will need very strong projectors. You can get a thin, defused film that reflects light at certain angles that works well in the daytime, but it is VERY expensive and hard to set up, as the projectors have to be just right. As a cheap alternative you can spray windows with a "frosting" and project onto them. this just wipes off when you are done, and the spray is about £5 per can from an art store.

Hope this helps.

tell us all more and maybe we an all help!

[Carl Rohumaa]

Thanks Adam,
I have access to Watchout and will re-visit that. What this is all about is rather than just putting in a bunch of installations and leaving them going for two weeks I want to make the gallery spaces dynamic. Then, the artists will all have as much gallery space as they desire. One minute it will be my multi screen live video stuff then an interactive work and so on. Like having a different show every ten minutes. I can fit in more artists this way too and change the content as I go along. There will be live performance interactive stuff too. Some things will have to be "fixed" like kinetic sculptures and other physical stuff like sensors, obviously.
Something like the VIXID VJX16-4 but with more outputs would be ideal. I could then use a MIDI sequencer to make an automated show but still be able to break in and change things on the fly.
I have just got some back projection material. I am going to stick this on a window and see what it looks like! I want to mirror some of what is going on inside the building on the windows so that the building becomes part of the installation, to lure people in and make it look pretty.

Some day there will be a gallery space in London that is set up like this.
Really buildings should be made out of high resolution modular plasma bricks!

Adam Montandon said:

Hey Carl,

Yes, that is something I could possibly help you with some advice and things.

There is a software program called Watchout, that is very easy to use, and allows you to set up different screens. Its very much like an advanced version of powerpoint. Its used a lot in rock concerts where you have lots of screens of different sizes.

Each screen is driven by its own PC, but they are all connected via watchout, so you can split / merge signals all over the place.

There are lots of places to hire from. but for tons of screens for 20 days it would be worth calling lots of companies.

Also, for projecting onto glass, this can be very tricky, especially in daylight, as you will need very strong projectors. You can get a thin, defused film that reflects light at certain angles that works well in the daytime, but it is VERY expensive and hard to set up, as the projectors have to be just right. As a cheap alternative you can spray windows with a "frosting" and project onto them. this just wipes off when you are done, and the spray is about £5 per can from an art store.

Hope this helps.

tell us all more and maybe we an all help!

[Adam Montandon]

good stuff. sounds like fun.

Plasma bricks.... Not a bad idea!