Sustainable Cinema No. 4: Shadow Play

Sustainable Cinema No. 4: Shadow Play.

© 2011 Scott Hessels.

The wind-powered Sustainable Cinema No. 4: Shadow Play is a kinetic public sculpture that harnesses sustainable energy to generate a moving image. By using natural power to re-create an early art form that led to the beginnings of cinema, the sculpture references the histories of both motion pictures and industrialization. It explores a possible future of environmentally responsible media; looking forward by looking back.

The Sustainable Cinema is a series of artworks that considers alternative systems to create a moving image (as if cinema had continued to evolve with sustainable elements instead of being co-opted by the industrial and digital ages). Despite the spreading audiovisuality of culture, and finding oneself surrounded by screens, there is rarely an understanding of the technology behind them. The sculptures in this series attempt to offer moments where the mystery of the moving image can be grasped. They are simple illusions created with simple energy that ask viewers to reflect on the original magic of film. It is a primal media experience, which, due to the rapid development of cinema technologies, is no longer an oxymoron.

Scott Hessels is a filmmaker, sculptor, and media artist who explores new relationships between the moving image and the environment. His artworks span several media, including film, video, the web, music, broadcast, print, kinetic sculpture, and performance. His films have been shown in numerous international film festivals, and his new media installations have been presented in exhibitions around the world, included in books on new media art and in publications such as Wired and Discover. His recent projects have mixed film with sensors, robotics, GPS systems, and alternative forms of interactivity, and have included partnerships with NASA, Federal Aviation Administration, and Nokia, among others. He is currently an associate professor at the School of Creative Media at the City University of Hong Kong (China).

Sustainable Cinema No. 4: Shadow Play.

© 2011 Scott Hessels.