Cosmological Cinema: Metaphor, Symbolism, and Immersion

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Science World Telus World of Science Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada 1986 Model of the Universe Johannes Kepler 1619 Cultures from around the world have long turned to the dome of the heavens to better understand the cosmos. Basilica di San Pietro Michelangelo As this perceived curvature has manifested architecturally throughout the world, domes have been used to enclose the most sacred environments of many cultures. From Buddhist stupas to Islamic mosques to Christian cathedrals, these structures have been used as places of ritual, indoctrination, and transcendence. In the 20th century, it became possible for the first time to radially extend mental images onto the dome screen using projections of light. Everyone stands under his own dome of heaven Anselm Kiefer 1970 Hagia Sophia Istanbul, Turkey Assumption of the Virgin Antonio Allegri da Correggio Cathedral of Parma, Italy 1530 Angkor Wat Angkor, Cambodia 12th century San Lorenzo Dome Guarino Guarini Turin, Italy 1687 Stonehenge Amesbury, England ca. 2500-2000 BCE Nebra Stardisk Nebra, Germany ca. 1600 BCE Total Environment Learning Lab Roger Ferragallo Oakland, California, USA 1967 Dome of the Rock East Jerusalem, Israel 691 Boudhanath Stupa Kathmandu, Nepal 5th century Basilica di San Pietro in Vaticano Vatican City 1426 Abakh Hoja Tomb Cashi, China ca. 1640 Flammarion An anonymous woodcut depicting a pilgrim looking beyond the firmament to see the inner workings of the universe. Date Unknown Yggdrasil The ‘World Tree’ of Norse Cosmology Rosicrucian Planetarium San Jose, California, USA 1936 Zeiss Planetarium Jena, Germany 1923 Dream Temple Mariko Mori 1999 Movie-Drome Stan Vanderbeek Stony Point, New York, USA 1965 Pepsi Pavilion Experiments in Art and Tech- nology Osaka, Japan 1970 The Vortex Experiments Henry Jacobs & Jordan Belson San Francisco, California, USA 1957-59 Rose Center for Earth and Space New York, New York, USA 2000 La Géode Paris, France 1985 Bok Globule Carter Emmart & Leo Villareal Black Rock City, Nevada, USA 2004 Three-Story Universe Common to numerous cosmologies worldwide Uniview Networked real-time data visualizations based on NASA’s Digital Universe Atlas Sonic Vision Rose Center for Earth and Space Animation based on paintings by Alex Grey 2004 Innovations in architecture, large-format cinema, and computer graphics have enabled the development of elaborate dome installations for art, education, and entertainment. The Apotheosis of Washington Constantino Brumidi United States Capitol Building 1865 As they are integrated with networked and interactive media, how can portable and permanent immersive visualization domes be most effectively utilized to communicate and expand mental maps in the 21st century? In the latter half of the 20th century, numerous artists, engineers, and educators experimented with domed environments to explore the possibilities of mediated sensory immersion. La Piedra del Sol Aztec Calendar Stone ca. 15th century Sanchi Stupa Sanchi, India 3rd Century BCE Newgrange Passage Tomb Newgrange, Ireland ca. 3200 BCE Mycenaean Tholos Tomb Mycenae, Greece ca. 1250 BCE Camera degli Sposi Andrea Mantegna Mantua, Italy 1474 Sultan Faraj ibn Barquq Mausoleum Cairo, Egypt 1411 The Cosmological Cinema Metaphor, Symbolism, and Immersion Adler Planetarium Chicago, Illinois, USA 1930 Hayden Planetarium New York, New York, USA 1935 Griffith Planetarium Los Angeles, California, USA 1935 NVIDIA Visualization Dome Los Angeles, California, USA SIGGRAPH 2005 Celestial Mechanics D. Scott Hessels & Gabriel Dunne UCLA Design | Media Arts 2005 Frame of Peyote Sweat Lodge Cheyenne Nation The rounded enclosures have often been used as canvases upon which to represent psycho-cosmological constructs, with both internal and external surfaces often steeped in visually symbolic and geometric meaning. The shape of the celestial screen has influenced the evolution of mental maps around the world, revealed by numerous artistic, religious, and scientific artifacts and beliefs. David McConville [email protected] Planetary Collegium CAiiA-Hub

description

McConville, D. (2007, November 15). Cosmological Cinema: Metaphor, Symbolism, and Immersion. Poster presented at the re:place 2007: on the histories of media, art, science, and technology, Berlin, Germany. Retrieved from http://www.mediaarthistory.org/replace/

Transcript of Cosmological Cinema: Metaphor, Symbolism, and Immersion

Page 1: Cosmological Cinema: Metaphor, Symbolism, and Immersion

Science WorldTelus World of Science

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

1986

Model of the UniverseJohannes Kepler

1619

Cultures from around the world have long turned to the dome of the heavens to better

understand the cosmos.

Basilica di San PietroMichelangelo

As this perceived curvature has manifested architecturally throughout the world, domes have been used to enclose the most sacred

environments of many cultures.

From Buddhist stupas to Islamic mosques to Christian cathedrals, these structures have

been used as places of ritual, indoctrination, and transcendence.

In the 20th century, it became possible for the first time to

radially extend mental images onto the dome screen using

projections of light.

Everyone stands under his own dome of heaven

Anselm Kiefer1970

Hagia SophiaIstanbul, Turkey

Assumption of the VirginAntonio Allegri da Correggio

Cathedral of Parma, Italy1530

Angkor WatAngkor, Cambodia

12th century

San Lorenzo DomeGuarino Guarini

Turin, Italy1687

StonehengeAmesbury, Englandca. 2500-2000 BCE

Nebra StardiskNebra, Germany

ca. 1600 BCE

Total Environment Learning LabRoger Ferragallo

Oakland, California, USA1967

Dome of the RockEast Jerusalem, Israel

691

Boudhanath StupaKathmandu, Nepal

5th century

Basilica di San Pietro in VaticanoVatican City

1426

Abakh Hoja TombCashi, China

ca. 1640

FlammarionAn anonymous woodcut depicting

a pilgrim looking beyond the firmament to see the inner workings

of the universe.Date Unknown

YggdrasilThe ‘World Tree’ of

Norse Cosmology

Rosicrucian PlanetariumSan Jose, California, USA

1936

Zeiss PlanetariumJena, Germany

1923

Dream TempleMariko Mori1999

Movie-DromeStan Vanderbeek

Stony Point, New York, USA1965

Pepsi PavilionExperiments in Art and Tech-nology

Osaka, Japan1970The Vortex Experiments

Henry Jacobs & Jordan Belson

San Francisco, California, USA1957-59

Rose Center for Earth and Space

New York, New York, USA2000

La GéodeParis, France

1985

Bok GlobuleCarter Emmart & Leo VillarealBlack Rock City, Nevada, USA2004

Three-Story Universe

Common to numerous

cosmologies worldwide

UniviewNetworked real-time data

visualizations based on NASA’s Digital Universe Atlas

Sonic VisionRose Center for Earth and SpaceAnimation based

on paintings by Alex Grey

2004

Innovations in architecture, large-format cinema, and computer graphics have

enabled the development of elaborate dome installations

for art, education, and entertainment.

The Apotheosis of WashingtonConstantino

BrumidiUnited States

Capitol Building1865

As they are integrated with networked and interactive media, how can portable and permanent

immersive visualization domes be most effectively utilized to

communicate and expandmental maps in the 21st century?

In the latter half of the 20th century, numerous artists, engineers, and

educators experimented with domed environments to explore the

possibilities of mediated sensory immersion.

La Piedra del SolAztec Calendar Stoneca. 15th century

Sanchi StupaSanchi, India

3rd Century BCE

Newgrange Passage Tomb

Newgrange, Ireland ca. 3200 BCE

Mycenaean Tholos TombMycenae, Greece

ca. 1250 BCE

Camera degli SposiAndrea Mantegna

Mantua, Italy1474

Sultan Faraj ibn Barquq MausoleumCairo, Egypt1411

The Cosmological CinemaMetaphor, Symbolism, and Immersion

Adler PlanetariumChicago, Illinois, USA

1930

Hayden PlanetariumNew York, New York, USA

1935

Griffith PlanetariumLos Angeles, California, USA

1935

NVIDIA Visualization DomeLos Angeles, California, USA

SIGGRAPH2005

Celestial MechanicsD. Scott Hessels & Gabriel Dunne

UCLA Design | Media Arts2005

Frame of Peyote Sweat LodgeCheyenne Nation

The rounded enclosures have often been used as canvases upon which to

represent psycho-cosmological constructs, with both internal and external surfaces often steeped in visually symbolic and

geometric meaning.

The shape of the celestial screen has influenced the evolution of mental maps

around the world, revealed by numerous artistic,

religious, and scientific artifacts and beliefs.

David [email protected]

Planetary Collegium CAiiA-Hub