blow-up

visual artist: Simon Biggs
choreography: Sue Hawksley
software development: Josh Nimoy
supported by New Media Scotland Alt-w bursary award and Dance Base, Edinburgh

R+D was carried out within a prototype interactive-installation environment at Dance Base
Blowup was exhibited at Alt-w: New Directions in Scottish Digital Culture CCA Glasgow August - September 2008. Opening performance by Cat Casbon and Sue Hawksley.
It was restaged as a double-sreen projection for the Bonhoga Gallery, Shetland Arts, October - November 2011. Opening performance by Freya Jeffs and Sue Hawksley.

Blowup is an interactive installation environment for public interaction and choreographed performance. The movement of performers/viewers is acquired and articulated in real time employing software custom written by Simon Biggs with Josh Nimoy. The tracked movement data is used to manipulate, fragment, distort and composite the live video material, which is projected co-located with the performers/viewers, in accordance with aspects of their movement. Stillness causes the images to blow up.
Blowup's title references Antonioni's film of the same name, and the work also draws on the final scene of another of his films, Zabriskie Point.