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Mark Skwarek
and Joseph Hocking will present Children of Arcadia, a real-time virtual ecosystem which undergoes the stress test of apocalypse to expose the moral fibers of its inhabitants and the flaws in their idealized utopia. Virtual reality and augmented reality are used to combine the physical world of downtown Manhattan with a virtual environment called Arcadia. The work gathers real-time information from the Internet related to the American economy and society and translates this data into either a utopia or apocalypse. These changes create a living 17th-century Baroque painting that shifts between a representation of apocalyptic ruin and one of an idealized utopia.

Mark Skwarek
is a new media artist living and working in Brooklyn, New York. Mark recently received his MFA from RISD’s Digital Media department. His art is heavily influenced by videogame culture and current events that face American Society. Mark's art work is made by modifying current video game technology. This manipulation has been primarily done by Joseph Hocking who Mark has been collaborating with for the last several years. Mark’s role in the creative process falls under concept and fabrication of the virtual experience. Mark’s recent focus has been on a large scale augmented reality called the Children of Arcadia. The project may also be viewed from a personal computer. The piece runs on information gathered from the internet and that transforms Wall St. into either a Arcadia or Apocalypse. The piece contextualizes American societies condition in real time living painting. Outside of his art practice Mark teaches 3-D graphics for video games at NYU Polytech, 3-D graphics for architects at New York City College of Technology, and 3d graphics for artists at Brooklyn College. Mark is also involved in research projects with NYU Polytech and New York City College of Technology that are exploring large-scale real-world multiuser onlines.

Joseph Hocking is a digital artist whose work is devoted to exploring the artistic potential of 3D graphics. Working closely in collaboration with Mark Skwarek, Joseph is a key member of the team behind the immersive 3D artwork Children of Arcadia. Shown most recently at the inaugural exhibition of the Sunshine Museum in Beijing, Children of Arcadia is a virtual environment built to project the financial district of NYC into a 17th century Baroque painting. Although he has a significant background in and knowledge of 3D animation, Joseph's artmaking activities chiefly revolve around programming, as his work with real-time 3D demands custom software for virtually every project. In addition to creating real-time 3D artwork, he teaches classes about both 3D animation and programming in an artistic context at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.


Mark Skwarek
Joseph Hocking
Children of Arcadia