Week 6

I have been working through the video tutorials and external resources to learn the ins and outs of Isadora.  This software primarily functions through the use of actors which are the building blocks of projects and handle every major creative process. 

Each actor is a module (or block of code) that handles certain functions such as playing videos, images, sounds, live video feeds, microphone sensors, etc. Through the combination of actors, you can then build sequences (also known as scenes).

In order to alter an actor's performance, you can tweak input properties to control specifically how they behave within a larger sequence. (Image A) In addition, I have been experimenting with test sequences as a way to explore different actors, how they can be used, as well as limitations. There are over 50+ actors built into the program which allows for the creation of immersive digital spaces through projection art. To name a few: measure color, motion blur, scaler, shapes, text drawing, video delay, colorize, alpha mask, alpha tool, effect mixerand more.

Image A. Screen-shot of a movie-player actor – commonly used within a sequence. You can alter playback speed, where/how the video loops, zoom, panning, and more.

Projection as a tool for activism #3

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Projection as a tool for activism #3 〰️

In 2011, a group of activists and filmmaker formed a collective titled The Illuminator.

“The collective has staged hundreds of projection-interventions in public spaces, transforming the street from a space of passive consumption and transit into a site of engagement, conflict, and dialogue. Our work calls attention to the many urgent crises that confront us, in support of the ongoing struggle for a more just, peaceful and sustainable world” (“The Illuminator”)

The group initially formed alongside the Occupy Wall Street movement in 2011, when artist Mark Read, designed a projection reading “99%” and displayed it on the Verizon building in New York City.

Photo by Brandon Neubauer. The Occupy “Bat Signal” shines on the Verizon Building.

So wait, is projection activism illegal?

As I’ve researched and explored the use of projections in protests and actions, I’ve become curious of the legal implications one may face. On September 9th, 2016, three members of the Illuminator were arrested after projecting “KOCH = CLIMATE CHAOS” onto the exterior of the Metropolitan Museum of Art — which had recently named its redesigned plaza the David H. Koch Plaza (Segal, 2017).

As explained by Segal (2017) “members were charged with unlaw posting of advertisements, using a New York law that states that anyone who posts, paints or otherwise affixes to the property of another person any advertisement, poster, notice or other matter designed to benefit a person other than the owner of the property is in violation of the law.” However, this selective enforcement of “illegal advertising” is only used to penalize arts-based activism efforts.

Friedman (2014) articulated that “In New York City, enforcement is heavily skewed to ignore illegal commercial advertising, while simultaneously aggressively targeting graffiti, activist messaging and, in some cases, symbols of dissent”

All in all, law enforcement targeting activists and organizers is far from a new narrative.

References

Friedman, J. (2014, October 2). How selective enforcement of illegal advertising laws punishes creative activism. Hyperallergic. Retrieved April 18, 2022, from https://hyperallergic.com/151561/illegal-advertising/

Segal, C. (2017, September 17). Projection artists bring light to social issues with attention-grabbing protests. PBS. Retrieved April 18, 2022, from https://www.pbs.org/newshour/arts/projection-light-artists-protest