Praxis-Workshop with Naomi Ben-Shahar and Jeremy Bernstein
The Carl von Ossietzky University in Oldenburg and its Master of Arts Media Art Programm has been an integral part of the Edith Russ Site for Media Art's conception since both institutes were founded in the year 2000. Workshops held by visiting artists are held twice per year.
Up to 12 students will have the opportunity to work with the artist Naomi Ben-Shahar on the subject of mapping movement in space. The goal is to produce a video which combines traditional video technology and Max/Jitter interactive software. Jeremy Bernstein, artist and developer of Jitter, will introduce and teach the students the software, which is fed one medium (input) and results in another medium (output). An interface will be developed which analyses live video and translates human interaction, movement and clustering into music. The students will be involved in the shoot from both in front of the camera and behind it. The shoot will take place in the dark. The movement of the people recorded during the shoot will be visually and acoustically traced, leading to an abstract piece of art.
The students will be involved in all phases of the work.
Here, an excerpt from Naomi Ben-Shahars abstract:
"I would like to use a new software which enables the analysis of movement and clustering in live video. In the past few years my video projects used small headlamps to trace social events in the dark (a party in the dark). I looked at human interactions in different locations and situations. I am interested in the dynamics of groups and the movement between individual consciousness and ist mental space vs. The "real" space of social becoming – the structure of networks of people that can become a fascinating, dynamic composite singular life form."