The project transfers the elements of the sunk panel patterns from the Mogao Grottoes from two-dimensional shapes to three-dimensional objects.
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The project utilizes the elements of the sunk panel patterns from the Dunhuang Grottoes to create a virtual environment. The Mogao Grottoes has been widely introduced to people in recent years through social media. Its richness in art, including Buddhist art and architects, and historical resources have fascinated people worldwide. All kinds of artworks are developed based on its Buddhist art. However, most forms of these artworks remain two-dimensional, just like how the original patterns are presented in the cave. Thus, in this project, I will focus on the patterns of the sunk panel and explore the ways to bring them to life.
The project utilizes several digital approaches, especially 3d modeling technology, to display the sunk panel inside a virtual world. The project focuses on two parts, the introduction to the original sunk panel, and the reconstruction of the sunk panel in the virtual space. The introductory part contains the information of different sunk panels including their dynasty, origin and main patterns. The latter part attempts to extract each pattern from the original sunk panel and transfer them into objects, thus turning the sunk panel pattern into a space. The project is delivered through three main aspects, camera movement, color, and geometries. The direction and position of the camera keep changing so that the project could catch the audience’s attention. Also, the camera movement cooperates well with the flowery colors to deliver the colorfulness of sunk panel. Geometries are another important element in constructing the frames. The squares and circles are the basic elements forming the sunk panel and refer to the ancient Chinese concept of ‘方圆.’ They also help to divide the frames into segments to deliver a stronger visual impact.
All the three elements interact with each other to extend the sunk panel into a space; however, what remains is the ideology behind it. Sunk panel is originally built to prevent the caves from fire. Thus, its pattern contains various elements related to water, for example, lotus. In the meantime, people endow it with auspiciousness and luck, so that we could see auspicious animals depicted, including rabbits and dragons. All the patterns portray a pure land, a blissful paradise, an imaginary world people longing for. The spherical mirror in the end not only resonates with the beginning but also reflects the idea that this space, after all, is an illusion.
Tags:#3DAnimation#DigitalHeritage#BuddhistArt
Jingtian Zong | Mirror1-3: Virtual and Real, Visible and Invisible
Mirror 1-3 is a set of collage installations. The three “mirrors” invite the audience to explore their identities between virtuality and reality, between the visible and the invisible, by presenting the reflection of the viewer’s self in different forms of media.
Mirror 1-3 is a set of collage installations. The three “mirrors” invite the audience to explore their identities between virtuality and reality, between the visible and the invisible, by presenting the reflection of the viewer’s self in different forms of media.
The three mirrors form an experience for the audience to walk through. Once the audience comes to the project, they will first be introduced to Mirror1, a face size mirror with three pieces, each reflecting a part of a person’s face in a different form: video, reflection from a real mirror, and digitally generated moving image. Then they will enter a small room and see Mirror2, a room-size installation. The audience will see mirror fragments hanging from the ceiling as well as real-time video feedback and digitally generated moving image that imitates the shape of the mirror fragments projected on the wall behind, in which the audience see themselves walking around, upside down, pixelated, or stretched. When they leave the room, they will see Mirror3 at the exit – an empty mirror frame.
On the heart of the project lie two questions. The first question is: Who are we in our contemporary life? On the one hand, we are now living in an age of booming media, an era of “fragmentation”. We are pieces of media in different forms that we release on different platforms. On the other hand, people themselves have become more “fragmented”. The soaring development of technology and globalization has driven more and more people into multi-cultural experience and multiple careers. Our time and selves are split into different pieces. We behave differently in different contexts. Inspired by David Hockney’s collage portrait photography, Mirror 1-3 further develop the concept of collage into the form of installation, and use it as a means to discuss the concept of “fragmentation” with the audience.
The second question is: Are the self-images we see true? Many scholars have addressed that in multi-cultural experience and even beyond, people might not look like what they are, but yet constantly experience stereotyping because of their appearance. Sometimes we don’t like our self-images. Sometimes we choose to represent ourselves in a way that we not really are. Sometimes our self-images are imposed. While Mirror1 & 2 provide the audience with a space to view their self-images in different ways, Mirror3 leaves them a blank and puts forward the question: Is the truth merely what we see? To what extent is what we see true?
The project combines technologies such as real-time image capturing, face detection, video manipulation, and projection mapping. The physical installation involves both laser cutting and handcraft, and also takes advantages of special materials such as one-way mirror and rear projection film. However above all, Mirror1-3 is a project that utilizes technology only to serve for its artistic and philosophical purposes. It pushes the “interactivity” and “artificiality” of interactive art into an invisible state by letting people interact with their images in the most natural way. It is an attempt to make interactive art something more than entertaining or eye-catching – To discuss a social phenomenon, to post a complex question, and to convey a message to the audience, to enable the audience to feel and think.
Tags:#installation#collageArt#mirror