THE INFINITY BOX

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The subtle effects of images can be easily overlooked.

This project highlights the hypnotic nature of television. Take into account the subtle effects of glowing & rhythmic moving image, our passive conditioning to TV and then take into account the narrative and you have a recipe for brainwashing. Television seems to have taken the place of the fire as the central focus point in the lounge room. The seductive glowing flicker of the television, and our conditioning to this totally passive form of entertainment has a similar hypnotic effect as that of fire. Although television contains programed content.

THANKFULLY OLAF RECOGNISES THE SUGGESTIVE POWER OF TELEVISION MEDIA AND DOES NOT INCLUDE ANY NARATIVE OR HIDDEN MESSAGES. MEANING IN THIS WORK IS TOTALLY DERIVED FROM THE RYTHMS YOU GENERATE BY MOVING YOUR HANDS. IN THIS SENSE THE IMAGES PRODUCED ARE MORE LIKE FIRE, BEUTIFUL PATTERNS WITH NATURAL RHYTHMS.

When we sit in front of the TV we become passive almost straight away. It started while we were kids, as children we watch our favorite TV shows in the morning and live in these dream worlds, like Pavlov and his dogs we are conditioned to switch off while we are selectively being presented with TV content. Conscious conversation can not happen with the TV so our conscious mind has a break while our receptive subconscious mind takes over, and this is where the suggestion occurs. Our subconscious picks up all the information that is being selectively presented on the news day in, day out, at the same time slot over and over, not only reading the narration but also the images and sounds and the subtle rhetorical connetations around the narative. How much is the programmed television content affecting my beliefs?

The 'Infinity Box' is Olaf's Latest video instrument that uses the relaxing 'FLURO FLUFFY CHAIR' as its interface. The infinity box translates the rhythms you generate in your body (your hands) into visual rythms - the visual rythms effect the way you feel.

The preset animations are mixed using brightness values generated by infinitely looping algorithms that simulate analogue video feedback. Made by Olaf with the assistance of Paul Perry & Souix Dollmann , the video instrument is programed using a prototype version of Andrew Baxter's video compositing engine VS .

Pictures: Infinity Box video instrument at the Mind-a-Maze Gallery 2002

The front of the infinity box has on it a mirror mosaic of a meditating cross-legged trance fairy. A live preview of the video output from the instrument is displayed inside her head (the 'Trance Head' ). A composite (RCA) video output is located at the top of the Infinity Box for anyone to plug into and record or broadcast.

Playing the Infinity Box is a cross between trancing out (see Visual Trance), and playing a theremin.

The Infinity Box is a 'Video instrument'. It was created to give a more physical interface to systems that play and effect video in real-time. Similar to the the Laser Video Harp it is used as an instrument for the performance of live improvisational video.

The type of interaction the Fluro Fluffy Chair offers as an interface is totally non physical, as the interaction occurs not with physical matter but light. Combining this instrument with the laser harp allows for much more gestural control of subtle parameters without the need to physically touch anything.

CLICK HERE FOR THE DESCRIPTIONS OF THE 7 PRESETS

THERE ARE SEVEN PRESETS IN THE INFINITY BOX....

THE IMAGES AND SOUND WITHIN THE PRESETS AND COMPOSITIONS ARE DESIGNED TO SUBTLY AFFECT MOOD. THE RECOGNISABLE IMAGES ARE LIKE VISUAL LYRICS AMONGST VISUAL RHYTHMS WHICH IN THEMSELVES DO NOT SAY ANYTHING BUT CAN ONLY LEAVE AN IMPRESSION.

THE ARMRESTS ARE VERY SENSITIVE SO SLOW MOVEMENT OVER THEM IS RECOMMENDED.