Vertical Limit, Installation

“Vertical Limit”, video/kinetic installation
2011
Hardware: computer controlled industrial motor, arduino microcontroller, hdmi box, switches, nylon wire, steel wire, silicon wire, beamer, and steel, funier, concrete.
Video components: Two HD video files being displayed according to the up and down movements- each track has duration of 05.10 min (original “one shot” footage).

The video/kinetic installation “Vertical Limit”, takes the same named video work to the next level. I always wanted to create a symbiosis between moving image and kinetic movement. The footage of the former mentioned work was used in combination with a kinetic set up. A lofty space at the summer exhibition “Tilallisia paikkoja/Spatial places” in Fiskars 2011 was the perfect setting to mount this experiment. The height of the space offered the opportunity to play with the vertical dimension. In the height of eight meter I installed a devise that could lower and rise a triangular “beamer pod”, thereby constantly traveling up and down between to likewise forms
On the floor, centered and 250/300 cm into the space is a triangular concrete block from witch three steel wires went up to the ceiling. These wires are guide lines on witch the video projection devise went up and down by means of an microchip controlled industrial motor. The projector rises and sinks in five min. intervals and according to this rhythm the movement in the video is synchronized. To antennas on the top and bottom give signals to the motor as well as to the Hdmi box when to switch to the right video file.
The installation worked flawless for about a month but had to be shoot down because of a hardware error (cable tranmission). Nevertheless it will be debugged for the next show and I am quite confident it will improve with this changes. The work can be customized for any room and location that provides a ceiling height of at least 450 cm.
You can see a video of the working installation under http://vimeo.com/30894936
The project was realised in colaboration with Gregoir Rosseau (rousseau.fi), who supported me not only with technical expertise, but put a lot of personal time and vision into this installation.

Hand on wire

Hand on wire
2011
HD video
00.06.45 min

“Hand on wire” is one of several experimental video works that originated in the idea of human reclamation of space, in this case the vertical. My chosen settings- may they be human build architecture (suspended electricity lines between buildings),- or natural given locations (lofty treetops) are places that radiate a lucid atmosphere. For these projects I used a powerful hydraulic lifter that can carry two people up to a height of 22 m and can perform coordinated movements (vertical/horizontal) simultaneously.
The video was taken at Oksasenkatu in Töölö and unfolds its activity in form of a hand performing a high wire act on a electricity line that is suspended at 12 m height between two red brick 7 floor buildings.

High Plateau

High Plateau
2011
HD video (looped)
00.01.50 min

The work “High Plateau” was filmed during my residence at the Cite´ Internationale des Arts in Paris. I took a lot of video footage of street performers and practitioners of parcour that reclaim the urban environment for their own pleasure.
Set against skyline of Paris a floral street pole stands like an exclamation mark against the clouded horizon. A small group of pigeons gets a surprising visit by a soccer acrobat that has his own personal claim to this vertical playground.