Under Scan in Derby
Derby Market Place played host to the world’s largest interactive video art installation when Under Scan was unveiled for ten nights in February 2006.
Under Scan is a free, public art installation featuring 1,000 interactive video portraits of people from the East Midlands. The portraits, taken by a team of local filmmakers and including 200 people from Derby, are projected on the ground in an area covering around 1,500 square metres. People can make the portraits "come alive" by covering them with their shadows, which are cast by a powerful projector.
Created specially for the region by Mexican-Canadian contemporary artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, Under Scan brings a new interactive art experience to the city, helping to put the region on the map for hosting internationally significant visual arts work.
Under Scan has been commissioned by the East Midlands Development Agency (emda) in association with other regional partners including Arts Council England, East Midlands and local authorities such as Derby City Council.
Under Scan utilises highly sophisticated, integrated technologies. The world’s brightest projector, with 110,000 lumens of intensity, will be installed to flood an area covering around 1500 square metres with bright light, creating shadows of people walking through it. A surveillance camera will detect people as they walk in the area. Video portraits, selected at random from video portraits of local people, will be projected and come to life through interaction with pedestrians’ shadows.
Rafael Lozano-Hemmer said: “The unveiling of Under Scan represents the culmination of almost a year’s work including intensive research, technical and artistic development behind this, my latest and most ambitious installation. I hope it will bring a new experience to Derby people and visitors to the city, and will provide them with an intriguing shadow-play where members of the public become actors.”
As well as shining a spotlight on Derby, Under Scan is helping to mark the massive programme of cultural activity in the region, including major new capital developments. A number of recent and future large-scale arts and cultural projects are playing a key role in cultural, town and city centre regeneration, including the £10 million development of Derby’s new QUAD building that includes funding of around £3million from emda and the Derby and Derbyshire Economic Partnership, as well as another £2.6million from Arts Council England.
Ross Willmott, emda board member with responsibility for Under Scan said, “In recent years, more than £140 million has been invested in developing new facilities within the East Midlands’ cultural quarters, bringing major economic benefits including jobs creation, increased tourism and the wide-ranging impacts of urban regeneration of our major towns and cities.”
“Under Scan will highlight the region’s arts and cultural offering and its vibrant cultural quarters. It demonstrates our commitment to encouraging innovative approaches to public space and, as a hi-tech installation, reflects our strengths in science and technology.”
Councillor Hardyal Dhindsa, Cabinet Member responsible for Leisure and Cultural Services, at Derby City Council said, “The installation of this internationally-significant new public art work in the Market Place reflects Derby’s status as a city where the arts are celebrated and can thrive. With capital investments in new facilities like the QUAD Visual Arts and Media Centre, we will continue to provide outstanding arts experiences for local people.”
“Under Scan represents a unique opportunity for local people to experience a very special video installation on their doorstep. It is fitting that Under Scan is helping celebrate cultural regeneration and I can think of no better public space than the Market Place to showcase this exciting work.”
