According to me Venice has always been that kind of place where it is still something misterious to be discovered.
Where, for sure, the same little stone invites you to have a conversation with it!
I like to think that somewhere in Venice there is the possibility to see who is having information about tide after while he is playing with an anomalous vawe or someone is playing with a misterious being after while the segret garden is revealing his soul.
SECRET GARDEN
AIMS
a] “La caratteristica fondamentale del vivere veneziano, continuo interscambio fra pubblico e privato, viene mantenuta anche nella struttura del giardino” (G.Berengo)
Secret Garden starts as a project to be realized in order to mix togheter private and public space.
It is also a way to share feelings between Venetians and all kind of people that is coming in lagoon.
b] “Il giardino è spesso individuabile, da chi transita per le calli o per i rii, dai ciuffi di verde che sporgono; questi giardini sono una minima parte rispetto a quelli esistenti” (G.Berengo)
Have you never know about the big number of gardens in Venice?
Have you never had the curiosity to get to know what could be behind the wall along the calle?
Have you never try to look at the sky and seeing trees mix up with the sunshine?
SECRET GARDEN project wants to put eyes on the wall to see and make happen the impossible/invisible.
SECRET GARDEN is one special window to give that kind of experience that is more a glimpse than a clear vision of something.
So, SECRET GARDEN is a kind of glance on slow time living memory because the same little plant saves the past (it tells us about conquests or ancient distroied forests).
c] Reading Gianni Berengo Giardini segreti a Venezia, I got many informations about all the possible gardens to be found. It is quite amazing, but looking at the map there are so many gardens! Almost the 50% of Venice is covered of green!
Because of the nasty walls all around the gardens, I suppose to work behind the windows that usually gives us the unic way to have a look inside the garden. It can be possible to find a lot of grid windows or really small ones, but always they are caracterized by the white Istria stone frame. If it is not, I would prefer to make an installation in one blind window (there are many).
EXPERIENCE
a] The experience is based on a game of perceptions. If the user is passing nearby the window installation, first of all, he got a vision of a really bright green. This last is a video of the invisible garden behind the wall, but it is just a fresh view of leaves mixed with light.
When the user is in front of the window (or standing to look at) the previus view of the garden becomes more strange…because misterious presences start to appeare! Nymphs, monsters, Fauns…animations of what is usually standing like fix sculpure in the garden.
In the beginning I was also thinking to make the window as a mirror for each passerby [secretgarden.mov].
b]The emotional tone has to sintetized that typical feelings during the night when you are walking on one lonely calle: surprice and scary, shadows and unexpected noise. It also wants to be a poetic experience of Venetian secrets.
IMPLEMENTATION
a] I am quite sure about the idea in which the installiion has to be as less invasive as possible.
That’s why I going to work behind an hypothetical window or using simply projection of light.
Input:
- Infrared motion sensor/proximity sensor
- Webcam
Output:
- Projector
- Loudspeakears (if I am going to put sound)
- PVC screen for back projection
b] For the installation I need a wiring board to coordinate the system with the all elements I mentioned above.
What hardware and software are needed in your final prototype version?
c] Basically I hope to found an interesting grid window where it is possible to put the system installation. If it not, I will do the same with another window even thought not on the calle.
I suppose to be able to build the same system as in the real life system and it should be possible if I have all of the components with me.
UNRESOLVED ISSUES
The mayor tricky is about the code (in Processing) to build the all system.
I still need to understand if I have to put some other instruments in order to project on the screen (what kind of screen?)
but anyway I am already trying to make a video of the garden using little animation of that misterious beings.
PLAY A WAVE
…it is coming!