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The Ark of
Video Memories
Project
A
phone call in September 2005 presented a unique challenge to
Videoscope Systems Consultant,
Carlos
Aita. The Jewish Museum in Prague
had accepted a proposal from Canadian artist Melissa Shiff to
create a video sculpture called ARK for its 100th anniversary.
The aluminum and acrylic sculpture would measure
4 meters high by 3 meters wide. A sand blasted plexi-glass
surface would serve as a projection screen for video about the
history of the museum and the Jewish community. Melissa knew
exactly how the projection should work.
She needed two synchronized images that could blend into
one across the prow of her sculpture.
Challenge
The challenge for Carlos
was to find the equipment that would do the job. There were a
few additional complications.
The Ark
would be installed on the street outside the museum, so
equipment had to function reliably in summer and winter
temperatures. The
images were to cover the whole surface of the sculpture, but the
throw distance of the projectors mounted inside was only eleven
feet: too short for such large images.
And, of course, the Ark
was not shaped quite like a normal screen.
Scope
To create the images, Carlos
recommended two 4,000 ansi lumen Sharp XG-PH50X projectors. Very
bright, they had an added feature: the ability to shape the
projected image by dragging the corners to suit the surface of
the screen.
To cover the large, contoured and inconsistent surface of the Ark, custom lensing was the key to success.
Carlos
worked with Navitar to provide lenses that could handle the
short throw distance.
Carlos
recommended
industrial Denon DVD players to ensure reliable playback daily
from dusk to midnight for 6 months in Prague
(September 14, 2006 until January 14, 2007) and beyond.

Next, to deal with the weather,
Carlos
provided BATKO housing for each DVD player/projector pair. This
custom housing protects and heats or cools the equipment as
required, to keep it within the proper temperature range.
The
final challenge was to automate play and synchronize images. Carlos
was able to program an Extron MLC2261P to handle the equipment. This Media Link Controller turns the equipment on and off
according to the time of day and synchronizes DVD play.Results
A year after the first phone call, the Ark
was ready for its September 2006 debut. Running
until January 14, 2007,it lit up the night in Prague
with images of Jewish Cultural artifacts and history.
Artist Melissa Shiff explained that the Jewish Museum in Prague
… "functions as Noah's Ark did in the Old Testament – to salvage and save what might
otherwise be destroyed by natural disaster and catastrophe.
Therefore ARK
seemed to be the perfect metaphor for … this museum that was
able to salvage thousands and thousands of objects during the
Holocaust." (Jewish Museum press release)
Videoscope specializes in custom system design. We take pride
in delivering user friendly systems. From the Ark
to the boardroom, if you have an A/V challenge, contact us at Videoscope.
Web links for more information
about the Ark
: http://www.melissashiff.com/events/ark.html
about the Artist: http://www.melissashiff.com
Contact
us toll-free at 1.877.387.2673 or email us at sales@videoscope.com
For Our
Location, click here.
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