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Entries include immersive installations, which include video walls or installations of multimedia that do not require interactivity.
Jury Chair: Allegra Burnette
Museum of Modern Art
GOLD: Infection Connection: IC Express
Liberty Science Center
Judges said:
We agreed that the experience of learning about infectious diseases while riding a subway was particularly effective in getting the message across (the judging for this category took place in New York, so the point definitely hit home!). By utilizing a means of transport for the physical structure of the installation and integrating media within it, the Liberty Science Center took a familiar environment and turned it into a way to transport visitors around the world to tell about different infectious diseases. In addition, the variety of storytelling techniques kept the information lively and engaging and brought the messages to an individual level through a series of personal narratives that were reinforced with other supporting, more didactic text and images. This installation is a strong combination of concept and execution that ends by putting the visitor in a position of responsibility and challenging them to think about the impact of their actions.
Producers said:
You don’t have to be sick to spread infectious diseases. Everyone has a connection to infections. What’s yours? Our daily decisions can either help spread or control sickness. These overarching messages of Liberty Science Center’s Infection Connection exhibition are centralized in the IC Express, a subway car theater experience. Riders (guests) wait in a subway station complete with global public health posters and a simulated newsstand. Twenty-five riders board the car and journey to distant lands to learn how people in different cultures and socio-economic levels deal with infectious diseases in 12 minutes. The stories feature dengue in the Philippines, TB in Peru and New York, HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe and influenza in London. The goal (and challenge) was making a rich experience for teenagers and adults. Topic choice and timing are the cornerstones of the final show, synchronizing video with animations on overhead screens and humanlike figures illustrating germs spreading. A surprise sneeze (a blast of compressed air) creates a climax near the end. Teams lead by Karen de Seve at Liberty Science Center and Jennifer Levitt at Magian Design Studio co-produced the presentation; Liberty Science Center designed the space; Art Guild, Inc., built the subway car.
SILVER: Sejarah Singapura
National Museum of Singapore
Judges said:
A 215 degree panoramic video presentation, this project excelled in a number of areas. The visuals were created specifically for this format, and it showed. The wide-screen format was used completely while still alternating visual focus between a macro and micro level. Still images came to life as illustrative photographs turned into moving imagery. The music and narrative were effectively woven together to create a hypnotic soundtrack that perfectly complemented the imagery. All in all, the judges agreed that this was a beautiful, informative piece that created a poetic and theatrical immersive experience.
Producers said:
Visitors of the history gallery of the National Museum of Singapore are invited to view a ten-minute sprawling mini-epic film depicting the founding myth of Singapore and its 14th century settlements. Designed to entice, create mystery, the twofold aim of the multimedia installation was to transport the visitor into an impressionistic visual setting as well as activate their imagination and deepen their interest to a much forgotten period of Singapore history. The contents for storyline were provided by the museum curator Cheryl-Ann Low and scripted by local poet, playwright and author Alfian Sa'at. The narrative is based on two central visual motifs; the act of writing, illustrated by three storytellers and events described in various Malay, Chinese and Portuguese historical texts. Using an original sound track, costumes which were designed based on research into the dress styles of the relevant historical contexts, and specially constructed sets, co-executive producers Michel Cayla and Panuksmi Hardjowirogo of GSM Media worked closely with Singaporean artist Ho Tzu Nyen to film panoramic tableaux with a painterly effect to sync with the narrated historical accounts.
BRONZE: The Festival Experience
The Museum at Bethel Woods and Cortina Productions
Judges said:
This program used angled oversized screens (including overhead) to create an immersive film environment that was enhanced with lighting and other effects. There was a nice blend of still and moving footage, including concert footage and commentary from the festival-goers. The judges felt the piece succeeded in creating the mood at the Woodstock Festival and setting up the rest of the museum experience. A high production level was enhanced by simple, well-designed titles and captions. Ceiling projections and lighting changed depending on the time of day, with a particularly effective moment when a National Guard helicopter came in. Overall, an effectively evocative experience.
Producers said:
This distillation of the sights and sounds of the three-day Woodstock Music and Art Fair from the festival-goer’s perspective is an immersive experience featuring four projection screens, nine digital video projectors, synchronized theatrical lighting effects, and 5:1 surround sound. As modern-day festival attendees walk past the iconic yellow sound towers into The Festival Experience, the three-story-tall main screen recreates the hour-by-hour experience from arrival to departure and all the musical performances, medical tents, free food kitchens, rain and mud, and communal spirit in between that defined the Woodstock festival. Projection scrims to the sides and above the main screen expand the experience with first-hand stories from festival performers and attendees and visual cues to the time of day or the state of the weather. The intended audience for this installation, which was produced by The Museum at Bethel Woods with Cortina Productions, was the typical museum visitor, which includes local residents, regional school groups, national/international tourism visitors, and music fans. The objective was to immerse museum visitors in what they might have experienced had they been at the festival, to remind those who were actually there what it was like, and to instill the idea that the festival experience was a significant moment in time for an entire generation. Test groups, consisting of high school student and mixed adult/youth audiences, have consistently rated this installation among their favorite museum experiences, some choosing to stay through several showings.
HONORABLE MENTION: An Island Story
Bainbridge Island Historical Museum
Judges said:
The judges wanted to acknowledge this project for its creative use of technology to enhance the visitor experience. While the space is a small, 1,000 square foot single room schoolhouse, a variety of techniques were used, including buttons that triggered sounds to illustrate how an artifact would be used, listening stands with oral histories, and ambient sound sensors. While a lot of technology was integrated in a small space, each piece had a single function that was executed in a straightforward manner, creating a rich but not overwhelming experience. The judges wanted to recognize this project as a great example of creative use of technology within a small museum.
Producers said:
Our goal for including multimedia installments in the exhibit “An Island Story” was to provide increased accessibility of the museum’s historic collection to our visitors. Our target audiences include all visitors to the exhibit who wish to gain an in-depth sense of our island’s history through photographic images, digital audio recordings, film, and audible sound. The exhibit successfully incorporates cutting edge digital technologies, bringing to life the most information possible in a limited display space. Digital picture frames allow the visitor to observe slideshows with hundreds of photographs in a small physical space. A library of oral history recordings are accessible through edited spoken word clips. Looping film footage brings our history to life among more static and traditional artifact displays. Environmental sound set on a motion activated system bring to the visitor’s ears the sounds of days gone by, including saw blades, steamship engines, and school bells. Utilizing multimedia installations has allowed the museum to give visitors a varied sensory experience that is uncommon in exhibits of this small size.
More 2008 Muse Award Winners
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