Interactive Light Projection of the City of Koblenz – Artist: Ulrich Westerfrölke
The artist Ulrich Westerfrölke uses digivod and creates art in the cultural building of the city of Koblenz.
The building
The design of the architectural firm Benthem & Crouwel for the cultural development of the city of Koblenz is based on the image of a rock flowing around the water, the corners of which were polished by the force of the water over time. Just like the rock in the water flow, the cultural building, „Forum Confluentes“, stands on the central square of Koblenz and is surrounded by visitors to the square.
Mr. Westerfrölke: „This is exactly where my concept for an art project comes in contact with the building.“
Project
With a thermal imaging camera (infrared), the people and their movements on the square are perceived. Using analysis software and a high-performance bomber, they are projected onto the façade of the cultural building as abstract graphics. People are represented as rectangles that move across the façade in real time according to their direction and speed. The path appears as a line. Rectangles and lines are displayed with different weights and colors.
On the one hand the light projection represents the movement currents on a certain area of the place, on the other hand the plant can also be used as a tool, with which one can actively draw. The visitors to the square do not „consume“ an idea, nor do they influence an existing image, but the image arises only through the presence of the people on the square, through the manner of their movements, their direction of movement, speed, etc. If no human being passes through moves the capture cone of the thermal imaging camera, no image appears on the facade.
We humans are never just anonymous observers, but always involved. At any one time, all people are involved in shaping the „overall picture“, even if that is not always visible to everyone and in their entirety.
Client Stadt Koblenz
Design and project management Ulrich Westerfrölke, Kelberg
Analysis software digivod, Meerbusch
Media Technology Mediamotion, Cologne
