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January 26, 2006

BE[AM]

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Us versus Them

BE[AM]--by Marie Sester--is a spatially interactive installation which displays visuals from a database of American pop culture and offers the visitors control of familiar iconic characters within our increasingly treacherous media environment. BE[AM] seeks to point out the political intoxication and "us versus them" mentality that is gaining prevalence as the lines between entertainment and portrayal of military combat quickly vanish. Charlie Chaplin, Wile E. Coyote, and Super Mario appear in contrast to projections of the American pop landscape: Hollywood productions, TV broadcasts, and video war games. The viewer's interaction with the superimposed icons creates a critical distance from popular media, providing a space for rethinking of large-scale, long-term cultural forces in reference to the daily lives of individuals.

BE[AM] projects video imagery throughout a public space using a robotic projector and employs video game controllers via Max/MSP, Jitter, and OpenGL. [via Jonah on Coin Operated]

Posted by jo at January 26, 2006 10:43 AM

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