HALA GHATASHEH
MEDIA ARCHITECT
2016
Die Ermittler
Kunstfest Weimar 26.-28. Aug 2016
Developed by Kunstfest Weimar and the Bauhaus University, and directed by the projection-pioneer Krzysztof Wodiczko, Die Ermittler was an interactive projection on Goethe-Schiller statue during the Kunstfest Weimar 2016, on the day of Goethe's birthday, where the Goethe-Schiller monument served as the projection surface on the Theaterplatz in Weimar for two nights, in a production that brought Goethe & Schiller back to life to speak on behalf of the silenced and raise a democratic exchange of opinions in public space.
Content:
In the content, a dialog between newcomers and citizens emerged. The dialogues were part pre-produced in a recording studio and part live- recorded in a self-constructed studio during the performance.
To prepare the pre-produced content, interviews with the newcomers and the citizens of Weimar were produced in advance in a Monument Animation Studio (MAS); a custom designed studio with a sound and video-recording unit, with the possibility to review, analyse, sort and modify the speeches with software. Then these recorded videos were projected on to the statues.
Performance:
During the live performance, the audience and passers-by could participate by asking questions and exchanging opinions in a public recording studio; and these were projected and mapped live on the corresponding monument, while the observers could react live, respond, and ask direct questions to the monument through the Monument Question Platform (MQP); an installation placed in the Theater Square, engaging the public in an intellectual conversation and transforming the Theater Square in Weimar into a platform for dialogue between the newcomers and the citizens of Weimar.
A Participatory Projection bringing the Goethe & Schiller Statues in Weimar back to life to speak on behalf of the silenced!
MAS
MQP
Die Ermittler - Real Time Set-up - Theaterplatz Weimar
Die Ermittler - Live Performance - Theaterplatz Weimar
MAS Design Development:
A custom made fixation rig was designed and constructed for positioning the performers in the same standing position of Goethe & Schiller to get the perfect footage for the projection. The overall set up of the studio was tested on set to position the performers, lights, cameras, screens, and all necessary equipment in the right position to get the most accurate footage for the projection mapping.
The recorded footage was then reviewed, analysed, and modified with software, and the produced speeches were projected on the monument.
MAS - Live Performance set-up - Theater's Foyer
MQP Design Development:
In Krzysztof Wodiczko's own words "The Circus has arrived!". Inspired by the old concept of the circus tent, a structure that when it appears in town, it indicates that there is a show taking place.
The form of the structure has a futuristic design, inspired by the status of the performers in their new environment, feeling as strangers, while others see them as strangers as well. These feelings alienate them, making them feel uncomfortable to speak up and be heard. This structure served as a platform for communication between the audience and the newcommers during the live performance.
MQP Structure:
The MQP is composed of a stairs structure brought from the Theater's storage and modified to fit the design requirements. The installation was constructed in the university workshops, and was later transported and assembled on site. It was equipped with a screen on the elevation facing the monument, displaying pre-produced content, and the project's trailer video, with speakers integrated in the wall, for passers-by to listen to pre-recorded Audio. The steps were highlighted with LED light strips. A microphone, light, and camera were placed at the end of the platform for the audience to address questions to the monument during the Live Performance.
MQP - Live Performance set-up - Theaterplatz Weimar
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