SIMULATED HEAVENS ADELA MUNTEAN & LILLA VÁCZI
SCHLOSS-POST_ RESIDENCIES_2016 CONTEXT
The historical genesis of virtual image spaces has various stages: it begins in the European tradition of image spaces of illusion, which was found in private villas and towns, like the Villa Livia near Prima-porta, the Gothic fresco room, the Chambre du Cerf, and other many renaissance illusion spaces, such as the Sala Delle Prospettive. Later the Sacri Monti movement and the ceiling panoramas of the Baroque churces shows that illusion spaces gained importance in the public domain too. All these examples contest that in each epoch many efforts were made to produce a maximum illusion of a virtual space.
Villa Livia near Prima-porta, the Chambre du Cerf, the Sala Delle Prospettive, and the Sacri Monti IMMERSIVE MEDIA
Today’s interactive media have changed our idea of the image into a multi-sensory interactive space of experience: within a rapid emergence of VR and 360 video, the dome takes the immersiveness of 360-degree video, and lets it be shared with others, a step into solving perhaps the one problem VR can’t shake: it’s a solitary experience. Walther Bauersfeld invented the projection planetarium in Jena around 1920 and Carl Zeiss the lenses of the projector. With their invention of this technical medium they transformed the whole spatio-temporal environment and the planetarium initially invented as a device for astronomical demonstrations finally turned out to be a training ground for what it means to live a life totally immersed in technology. One motivation to create this project is the rapid emergence of fulldome festivals and many other immersive projects which leads us to celebrate its inventors: as Carl Zeiss was borned in 1816, this year (2016) we celebrate its 200 years anniversary. ZEISS PLANETARIUM
The Zeiss Planetarium in Jena is the first geodesic dome derived from the icosahedron, more than 20 years before Buckminster Fuller reinvented and popularized this design. The Story of the Zeiss Planetarium is mentioned as a living replica of the heavens. during the construction of the Zeiss Planetarium PROJECT PROPOSAL
TWO PERSONALITIES OTHER SCENES ARCHIVE The story of Zeiss Planetarium will The project will contain scenes from The virtual world will be entangled be told via these two personalities World War I and World War II when the with archive photos and videos about mentioned above. evolution of the planetarium stopped the inventors and the planetarium. but also will capture the attendance that steadily grew throughout the NAVIGABLE SPACE decade, with records revealing that The space will become navigable millions of visitors had experienced through a timeline which will contain the simulated heavens in Germany and the most important dates that marked then in other planetariums too: Berlin the evolution of the new invention. The and Düsseldorf, as well as Rome, Paris, spectator will be transported in different Chicago, Los Angeles and New York. places by selecting the given years. The project will contain scenes from World War I and World War II when the ENTAGLED VOICES evolution of the planetarium stopped The narrator’s voice will alternate but also will capture the attendance the first person narration “of the two that steadily grew throughout the inventors.” The spectator will be guided decade, with records revealing that through the story by these voices. The millions of visitors had experienced virtual world will be entangled with the simulated heavens in Germany and archive photos and videos about the then in other planetariums too: Berlin inventors and the planetarium. and Düsseldorf, as well as Rome, Paris, Chicago, Los Angeles and New York. The Zeiss-Planetarium in Jena, Germa- ny is the oldest continuously operating planetarium in the world. It was opened on July 18, 1926. The Zeiss-Planetarium is a projection planetarium. The plan- ets and fixed stars are projected onto the inner surface of a white cupola. It was engineered by German engineer Walther Bauersfeld.
the Zeiss Planetarium today CARL ZEISS (1816 - 1888)
Carl Zeiss was a German maker of optical instruments best known for the company he founded, Carl Zeiss Jena (now: Carl Zeiss AG). Zeiss made contributions to lens manufacturing that have aided the modern production of lenses. Raised in Weimar, Germany, he opened a lens-making workshop in the 1840s in the city of Jena. At first his lenses were only used in the production of microscopes, but when cameras were invented, his company began manufacturing high-quality lenses for cameras. The first modern planetarium projectors were designed and built by the Carl Zeiss Jena company in Germany between 1923 and 1925, and have since grown more complex. WALTHER BAUERSFELD (1879 – 1959)
He was employed by the Zeiss Corporation, who, on a suggestion by the German astronomer Max Wolf, started his work on the first projection planetarium in 1912. Bauersfeld completed the first planetarium, known as the Zeiss I model in 1923, and it was initially placed on the roof of a Zeiss building in the corporate headquarters town of Jena. These inter-war planetariums were built in Berlin and Düsseldorf in Germany, as well as Rome, Paris, Chicago, Los Angeles and New York. The Zeiss I Planetarium in Jena is also considered the first geodesic dome derived from the icosahedron, more than 20 years before Buckminster Fuller reinvented and popularized this design. CONTACT
ADELA MUNTEAN http://adelamuntean.com/ http://transcinemaexpress.com/credits/ [email protected] 0040 755 034 437
LILLA VÁCZI https://vimeo.com/lillavaczi [email protected] 0036 70 604 62 21