Video Installation

Video Instillation

Video instillation is a contemporary art form that combines video technology with instillation art. Contemporary art is art made at the present period of time, and as Video installation uses projectors and screens it is classed as contemporary art.Video instillation art uses many things like projectors and lasers to map onto walls and other materials. Although projections don't have to be the main focus, sound can also be an important part, as sounds and ambiances can set the atmosphere.

This is a clip from 'Illuminating York' which is a festival which happens once a year. They project images onto buildings and make animations out of the art work. For example, this clip of patterns from various artists is being projected onto York crown court. The projection mapping makes it look like the building is moving and other content artists have created ( like patterns) need to fit the scale of the building. If the projection did not fit the scale of the building, it would not look as good and some of the effects and patterns might not work as well.

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ANTIVJ

ANTIVJ is a group of people who use projection mapping to make things appear as though they are moving, but in other work that they have done, they have used lasers as well which when combined with mirrors, can give off a certain effect on which they can experiment on. Mecaniques Discursives is an installation project which took place in France at a theater, the ANTIVJ group did a projection video making one of the walls look as if the little people on the walls were moving. They also made some 3D effects, which made things like the clock hand come alive with realistic movement. They show this projection by filming the wall, which it is projected onto.Then tracking upwards till they can see the top of the projection. 

They made this video by using quite a few different projectors that are projecting moving images on the wall, each projector has its own allocated space which it shines on too. They have tried to turn the boring stuff like cables and pipes that are on the walls and made them into more interesting things with random animations. To make these projections, they will have used projection mapping software e.g  MadMapper, Millumin, Resolume Arena 4 etc. This software is used to create all the little animations that are displayed on the wall. Each individual projector will have its own animations to play for the space it takes up. 

ANTIVJ use very technical setups to get the effect they want, they use lots of projectors and in other videos use lasers and mirrors. Compared to other people who make video installation projects, their work is very complicated. For example 'Box' is a video made by The Creators Project, the video shows a blank screen which is being moved by a mechanical arm behind it,  they created an illusion on which someone looks like they are pushing it by them self. As the video goes on another screen comes in to play and then the projector projects animations of movement that the two screens both share, for example towards the end the two screens come together and makes what appears to be a box which the person walks into and then gets lifted up. So even though the end product for 'Box' looks more professional, they used less projectors than ANTIVJ did.  

Personally i really like ANTIVJ's work, as they include good camera work as well as good projection mapping skills and and laser skills. For me this is important as you need to capture the audience into the illusions you are showing them, and if the camera work or projection mapping isn't good, then the audience wont be as entertained. Looking at their Vimeo page, there is a lot of good feedback from viewers wondering how they created it, this is a very positive thing leaving the viewers thinking about the projects as it makes them remember it compared to something that might not be as clever as theirs are. An example of this would be one viewer saying "Very very nice! What`s the technology behind the installation? Just 2 Beamers and semitransparent curtains?", it is clear that people enjoy watching these videos as if they were some sort of magic tricks.