20 November 2006

A-Life and G-Vision by Nigel Johnson

Visual Research Centre, DCA
Public launch: Thurs 30th November 2006 6 - 8pm
Exhibition: Fri 1st - Fri 15th December 2006

A-Life and G-Vision are two ambitious research projects currently being undertaken by Nigel Johnson in the VISUAL RESEARCH CENTRE’S large flexible experimental project area, Centrespace.

Centrespace has been divided into two separate areas, each space demonstrating an audacious undertaking and whilst complimenting the other, each half retains its unique individuality.

Throughout November, Nigel has been working intensively to create these complex installations and November 30th sees the launch of both A-Life and G-Vision, with the exhibition opening to the public for 2 weeks from 1st December.

A-Life is a large-scale computer controlled, interactive artwork which makes "retrospective homage" both conceptually and stylistically to the early work of John Conway’s Game of Life incorporating elements of Artificial Intelligence, Cellular Automata, Artificial Life and Gaming.

The Game of Life is an example of emergence and self-organisation. It has intrigued artists, biologists, mathematicians, economists, philosophers and others to observe the way that complex patterns can emerge from the implementation of very simple rules and their analogies with real life.

Nigel explains, "At one level, this installation is a simple metaphor encompassing the complexities of life, distilled down into the basic components of life, birth and death governed by the rules that control these events. At another level it is full of the subtleties and complexities of life itself".

This area of centrespace will be dominated by a large interactive LED wall which users can interact with using a device similar to a gaming console control. Users can create their own A-life colonies and see how they evolve with each passing generation.

G-Vision is vision-based gesture and motion recognition software for real-time analysis within interactive installation and performance scenarios. "Imagine a symphony of sounds raised by the movements of a conductor’s hands even though there is no orchestra, or images that change depending on the number of people looking at them and where they are standing. Imagine art and the interaction experience that can be influenced as much by the audience as by the artist - this is the potential of G-Vision". says Nigel.

There will be a number of real time demonstrations and a large-scale projection. Users will be able interact with video cameras whilst demonstrating the capabilities of this software. There will also be a gesture based pre-recorded demonstration and users will be able interact with a capture aspects of the software.

Funded by £25,000 competitive award for digital media projects through Scottish Enterprise Tayside and Research and Innovation Services. A-Life and G-Vision continue Nigel’s research and practice which has centred on the production of computer-controlled, two and three dimensional, interactive installations and digital artworks since 1978. Central to this enquiry is the question of “artificial intelligence” in its broadest terms, and the application of practical and theoretical models in the development of interactive installations and art objects.

Nigel Johnson is a Reader in the School of Media Arts & Imaging at the University of Dundee. His prime responsibility is for Doctoral studies within Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design. He is responsible for supporting all research students, enabling the faculty to grow in this vital area of study.

A-Life is supported through the Research Projects Fund of the School of Media Arts and Imaging, the Interaction Design Lab (IDL), the Visual Research Centre (VRC), University of Dundee and sponsored by Microrobotics Limited, Cambridge. (www.microrobotics.co.uk.)

G-Vision is supported through a competitive Digital Media Commercialisation Award funded by Scottish Enterprise (Tayside) and University of Dundee Research and Innovations Services together with the support of the School of Media Arts and Imaging, Applied Computing, Interaction Design Lab (IDL) and the Visual Research Centre(VRC), University of Dundee.

FOR FURTHER INFO:

Please contact Vicky Hale, Project Co-ordinator at the: 01382388064 / v.hale@dundee.ac.uk or visit: www.vrc.dundee.ac.uk

The VRC is open Wed - Fri 10.30am - 5.30pm (also Sat & Sun 12.30pm - 5.30pm but only during public projects in Centrespace)

Visual Research Centre Dundee Contemporary Arts 152 Nethergate Dundee DD1 4DY

t 00 44 (0) 1382 388064 f 00 44 (0) 1382 388105 e vrc@dundee.ac.uk w www.vrc.dundee.ac.uk

For media enquiries contact:

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