OUTMODED LIGHT

Aron Hemingway

This project is an extension of my current thinking and interest in the design world, and looks at ways in which to position lighting, temporary installations, and and public design in the current climate of sustainable issues.

With large scale buildings and projects leading the way in Melbourne, and in the Docklands, with the likes of CH2 and the Pixel Building, and almost every other building singing its own praises with it water collection, or latest air flow practices. These

are fantastic, but there is a real lack of small scale thinking in how these concepts may be taken up by the public, and sometimes help drive a 'replace it with something better' kind of thinking. Here is try to address one small area that is too little discussed, one of outmoded technology, and the lack of will to see usefulness of older technology, possibly for uses not initially intended.

Taking a television as a simple example, there is an ever increasing amount of discarded Cathode Ray Tube televisions left out on the street, simply because they do not show digital high definition signals, or hook up to a 7.1 channel surround sound system. I try to get back to the primary act it was designed for, to produce light, and see the usefulness it has, instead of what it may be missing in latest and greatest features.

Criteria A .01Provide a statement that communicates your reason for submitting the project –

Criteria A .02

Frame the artistic / creative context for the installation –

The well known movie 'Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain', (Jean-Pierre Jeunet, 2001), contains a scene in which she is sitting in a cinema, and shows the absolute joy of watching others around her, and behind her watching the film, instead of watching the film herself. The lighting of the scene is all from the cinema screen, and highlights their faces with a soft and effortless flickering.

There are many examples of artistic works and others that highlight the need for changes to the way we use and re-use materials and objects around us. Rosalie Gascoigne is a very good example of this, with all of her works created from things she picked up around the landscape. Architects and designers also are doing many projects with similar goals, such as the 'Junkatechture' movement. However here I would really like to show two examples of the effect I wanted create, in lighting terms, even if the examples may be well-known for other reasons. The project is, in the end, a lighting effect, designed to stimulate and engage a viewer.

Top : Rosalie Gascoigne,‘Metropolis’, 1999 (close up)http://artblart.wordpress.com/2009/02/04/review-rosalie-gascoigne-at-the-ian-potter-centre-ngv-national-gallery-of-victoria-australia-melbourne/Bottom : http://theknotcollective.com/junkitecture-2`

Criteria A .02

Frame the artistic / creative context for the installation –

Tacita Dean uses vintage reel to reel projectors to display her amazing filmic artworks. The sound of the old technology as well as the film quality all add to the meaning of the work. In relation to 'Outmoded Light', the works also have an incredible effect on the room in which it is playing, with all white wall of a gallery, the mood is different to a general cinema.

As part of a collaboration with Mercer Cunningham and John Cage, in the show ‘Haunted’, at the Guggenheim Museum, New York, 2008.

Criteria A .03

The primary focus of this installation is about knowledge building and awareness or issues relating to re-use of outdated technologies, as a replacement of landfill.

I started looking at issues of sustainability in the docklands area, mostly on focusing on water use and handling, as it is an area that is highly praised in the written material. This lead to a investigation into the comparison to water use in general, how we use it, how much we use, and what we do with it afterwards. The same questions can be asked of appliances, and as this is a large issue, that is little talked about, it became the focus for the installation.”

So drawing links to the use of televisions in the Docklands and surrounding areas, and also using this to draw awareness to the potential role of outmoded technologies. Secondary roles of the installation is to draw people to the area, outside of general work foot traffic times, and highlight the existing beauty if the waterside areas.

Docklands Park : 580,000

Victoria Green : 50,000L

Point Park : 332,000L

Water Plaza Gardens : 88,000L

Batman Park : 500,000L

Dockalnds Water Storage

Capacity

Propose the goals that you hope to achieve-

Propose the goals that you hope to achieve-

+ =

Over 100,000 tones of E-Waste (televisions, computers and computer equipment) are disposed of in Australia each year.

5kg per person per year=

Proportion of CRT Television

that can be recycled

= Non-recyclable

= Recyclable

Criteria A .03Propose the goals that you hope to achieve-

Criteria A .04

Outmoded Light

Melbourne CDB

Docklands

N

victoria harbour

docklands

yarra river

port melbourne

newquay west

ethihad stadiumwaterfront city

central pier

north wharf rdwes

tern

link

rd (c

itylin

k)

collins st

bourke st

OUTMODED LIGHT

Select and detail the site you wish to inhabit –

Criteria A .04

Pedestrian access

Pedestrian access

Higher viewing areas

Cyclist access

Cyclist access

Cyclist access

Primary viewing space‘OUTMODED LIGHT’ Installation

Existing Bollards

Select and detail the site you wish to inhabit –

High Tide

Low Tide

Existing light to be disabled

Power and data cable

Power and data control box

140 obsolete weather-proofed television screens

Existing light to be disabled

Criteria A .04

Select and detail the site you wish to inhabit –

Criteria A .05

3km

1km

2km

Stage 1 Television Collection

Stage 2 Television Collection

Stage 3 Television Collection

September October November December Januray Febuary

TV Collection Stage 1

TV Collection Stage 2

TV Collection Stage 3

Installation

March April

In-situ Lighting Duration

Outline a proposed duration for the installation and why –

The time of the installation itself would run for the two months, and turn on at dusk, and run until midnight, each evening. This allows time for residents to see the installation running during hours in which the effect would be visible, but not use excessive power during other times.

The light-source used in the installation is, by design and reasoning, outdated and unwanted technologies, and in this case, televisions. With the increacing uptake of new flatscreen technology like Plasma, LCD, and LED, and the higher definition digital signal, now, more than ever, old, but working televisions are being thrown away.The exact specifications vary enormously depending on the age, and size of the set in question, but below are some guides and examples. The televisions would run off tidal power, with various forms available. This could be leased, short term, for the length of the project.

The content shown on the televisions would be from a digital signal, showing free to air television, shown on all screens simultaneously. This allows the light to be at its brightest, and opens up possible sponsorship with TV networks.

Largest CRT Screen: Sony WEGA KV-40XBR800

Dimensions (W x D x H): 1094 x 662 x 838mm101cm screen

Average Example Technical specifications: Sony CRT TV – KV-LS212M90 ( c. 2000)

Screen size: 21-inchAntenna input: 75ohmVideo input impedance: 75ohm Audio output: 2 x 5W in AV stereo modeSpeakers: 2 x 5W at 8ohmPower consumption: 75W Operating voltage: 150Vac to 250Vac at 50Hz to 60HzChannel coverage: VHF-1 channel 2 to 4 (S1 to S10) VHF-3 channel 5 to 12 (S11 to S41) UHF channel 21 to 69Compatible TV systems: PAL BG PAL DK PAL I PAL MN PAL/SECAM BG PAL/SECAM BG and DK NTSC 3.58Mhz NTSC 4.43Mhz playbackConnections: Two euro-scart input/output sockets Side AV inputWeight: 22kg Dimensions (W x D x H): 600 x 480 x 465mm

Smallest CRT Screen: Sony KV 4100

Dimensions (W x D x H): 200 x 150 x 300 (approx)9.4cm screen

Criteria B .01.1

Technology –

Technology –

Criteria B .01.2

High Tide

Low Tide

Hardwood timbers - Dock rst built c. 1886

Television - One of 140 random obsolete and used, and water-proofed

Custom shelf bracket

Bolted into timber

Materials, construction and fixing methods –

Zinc coated, self drilling decking screws

Zinc coated, self drilling decking screws

Used seatbelt stapping holds TV to Shelf

Criteria B .02

Understand the key elements and conditions of the site –

Pedestrian access

Pedestrian access

Cyclist access

Cyclist access

Cyclist access

Existing Bollards

Aftern

oon wind

directio

n

Bars / Restaurants

Existing lighting

Appartm

ent building

site-line

Site-line from across

harbour

Pedestrian site-line

The site was chosen for the specific conditions and attributes at Victoria Harbour. These are mainly its site-lines from various points around the harbour to the installation site, as well as the central relationship to the participants, with ease of access.

Lighting conditions can be controlled with a few adjustments made (turning off) to the existing lighting in the direction of the installation.

Wind is not a huge problem, but the installation is protected from the worst of it of an evening by the buildings behind.

Criteria B .03

On-site testing at 1:1 scale-

Testing of lighting conditions in a dark environment, with only light source being the television. Change in colour being the various colour changes in a movie or other projected imagery.

Participation by the public, and the residents of the Docklands and Inner Melbourne in particular, is most active during the television collection process. The televisions will be collected from residents of Melbourne, firstly from a radius of 1km of the installation site over a two month period, and then from a 2km radius, for the next 2 months, and again for the last two months. (see diagram in A.05)

This process allows the residents who are closest to have a direct relationship to the event that is the installation, and a connection often absent in public art projects. During the communication and consultation with the donors, information is exchanged in regards to themes and concepts behind the project. This allows a clearer cross pollination of ideas, and connection to the public at large.

Criteria C .01

Detail the way the public will be encouraged and able to participate in the installation –

Criteria C .02

Elaborate on the broader themes of the installation (as outlined in Criteria A) and how the participatory experience relates to such themes –

The idea of communication to a greater public is a real key area for the project to address. The immediate community could share something both with each other, and the larger viewing public though their participation in the project. 'That was my TV, now it is an art piece', something that sounds simple, but is really a step in breaking down barriers between artwork and viewer.

The other real key objective is one of communicating a greater idea, one of over consumption, and each persons direct relationship to it. It is not just a notion talked about in sustainable academic circles, but something that each person has an impact on. This realisation could be a very small thought about what their old appliance is doing now, but also through direct information given to them in the consultation process to obtain the television.

The hope is that this will lead to a widening of the thought process in regards to obsolete technology. 'Tech hacking' is a form of re-use of old technology, and the community of hackers is growing. One hope is that it will one day not be left to the extreems of society, but that people show ingenuity of days gone by.

Criteria C .03

gathering, with numbers taken on random days and evenings both before the event and over the two month installation, as well as surveys of the vendors at the rear of the site. These numbers will evaluate any change in activity of pedestrians or viewers, and also see if this change is noticeable by the vendors.

The majority of the data collected for this project will be in the television collection process, as that is where most of the participation takes place. Numbers would be collected not only of the actual participants, but their direct relationship of those people who were contacted in some way but did not participate. The local participants could also become the beginning of a database to continue any communication of future projects.

The donors would be sent a survey, to gauge their interest and involvement in the issues that drive the project, and wether this was enhanced by the project itself, or if in-fact the became involved because of the interest. This would be supplemented by onsite information

Detail how you will be able to collect data from the installation in order to judge its impact and success–