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December 31, 2004

The Analogous Landscape: Rim of Fire

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Inferencing Techniques for Navigation of Terrains

Defining the nature of resemblance between things that are otherwise unlike is the focus of The Analogous Landscape project. In the tradition of monumental works by environmental artists Robert Smithson, James Terrill, Christo, Richard Long and the Harrison's, C5 intends to produce a large scale conceptual and performance artwork. The Analogous Landscape: Rim of Fire project integrates a sophisticated research agenda within the context of adventure sports, corporate culture and art. Beginning with the successful expeditions in 2003 to ascend Mt. Shasta and Mt. Whitney in California (the highest peak in the continental United States) C5 is planning research expeditions with the intent of climbing 20 volcanic mountains along the Pacific Rim of Fire. The environmental space of the Pacific Rim is a complex dynamic shaped by a context of economic globalization and post-modernization.

The objective of The Analogous Landscape: Rim of Fire project is to develop inferencing techniques for navigation of terrains of similar characteristic. At issue is whether navigation paths can be transposed by analogy on a selected terrain's other. To address this, initial expeditions will be analyzed to produce predictive navigation scenarios that can be imposed on the succession of expeditions. C5 intends to re-describe the landscape as a factor of expeditionary experience. Using GPS (Global Positioning Systems) technology C5 research teams will collect ascent path tracking data that will be computer modeled in three dimensions. Video and photographic documentation of the expeditions will be interactively linked to the tracking data (time and location data) through a unique computer interface design. Each mountain will be computer fabricated directly from space shuttle and satellite DEM (Digital Elevation Mapping). A singular model will be produced directly from a cumulative integration of the track logs. The final installation will include the above elements within an interactive display environment.

Posted by jo at December 31, 2004 10:09 AM

Comments

From Glowlab: "C5: Theory as product is a progressive group out of California making use of extreme adventure sports and mountaineering synthesized with GIS type software. Their current project, C5 Landscape Initiative, takes the group to the heights of California (14,491 ft) and Japan (12,395 ft) while mapping the climbs with the technology they with which they are fluent.

The project is graphically easy to understand allowing C5 to use advanced technology without losing their audience. Their expeditions, while acknowledging they are following already taken paths, are investigating present and past, reminiscent of another California mapping project, California Coastal Records Project (http://www.californiacoastline.org/). The mapping, while three dimensionally interesting, becomes a mapping of time, which some might refer to as a fourth dimension (http://www.alcyone.com/max/lit/flatland/).

I have played around with an older project of C5 in the past two days, as well. SubSoft (http://www.c5corp.com/softsub/index.shtml) virtually maps a users hard drive as if it were a geological form. The mapping is smart and simple, allowing the layering that occurs to be a positive attribute to the project. 1:1 (http://www.c5corp.com/projects/1to1/index.shtml) is their project for the 2002 Whitney Biennial, a virtual mapping of the internet. You See That You Don't See (http://www.c5corp.com/venues/ydstyds/index.shtml) performed at New Langton Arts in San Francisco is C5s only theatrical performance. I see red cubes in the images... oh cubes and galleries.

C5 is currently making positive progression out of the art spin about art spin cycle. Engagment with the great out doors is something technology artists tend to steer clear of, remaining in the urban environment. Blending the performance of Tony Craigg with the NASA capable mapping allows for art to be accessible to adventurers who go on derives everyday, but never think of it as a psychogeographic event."

Posted by: Jo at January 3, 2005 10:08 AM