Virtuo is proud to have collaborated with artist Lonnie Hutchinson on New Zealand’s first outdoor virtual binocular experience, Shangri La (2011), Chew’s Lane, Wellington.
Concept:
Before the settlement of Wellington the area of land that Chews Lane occupies was originally the seabed and shoreline. The original bay was surrounded in native bush which was also known for its towering Totara trees. The artwork Shangri La is a series of animations that observes and propositions the physical architecture of the lane by implanting a conceptual landscape that acknowledges the area’s Māori cultural and natural history. Landscapes and stories weave their way around Chews Lane.
How it works:
The viewer is invited to view through the binocular this environment. The binocular can be rotated left or right approximately 360 degrees and up and down approximately 30 degrees. There are black and white motifs in the canvas image, when the binocular is held stationary over these motifs a crosshair will appear (much like the crosshair on a camera when taking a photo) which will trigger an animation.
Credits:
Artist, Producer, Sound Designer
Lonnie Hutchinson
Interactive Director and Developer
Pete Lipponen ( Virtuo )
Interactive Creative Producer
Laurent Antonczak ( Virtuo )
Animation, Editing, Sound Design
Dan Mace ( Remote )
Special Thanks to
Willis Bond for funding this project
Jaime Lawrence (Athfield Architects)
