“To Live To Love,” an immersive psychedelic video installation; all photos by Pam RuBert

Updates

To Love To Live
Using projections of thousands of tiny light beams reading depth, space, and motion to create an interactive environment of light and sound, Russ RuBert created an immersive video art installation at the ideaXfactory for visitors to engage by moving their bodies. Sensing movement, the system interpreted the information and turned it into particles of light in animated motion on a giant translucent screen.

Russ RuBert uses multiple projections to express different movement data

Five projectors were installed inside the ideaXfactory to create a multi-layered experience of different visual interpretations of the movement data in the form of letters, numbers, a flexible grid, points of light, colors, silhouettes, and shadows.

Film producer Bryan Burke works with musician and visual artist Tyler Thrasher

Collaborating musicians for the event were Tyler Thrasher and Bryan Burke, creators of project Delve, a collaboration between music producers and students at Missouri State University who focus on outdoor activities such as rock-climbing, caving and hiking as a way to inspire and motivate others to go beyond the scope of what they think is possible.

Bryan Burke and Tyler Thrasher rehearse improvisational music to RuBert’s projections

The two producers are currently running an indiegogo campaign to raise funds to purchase the equipment and software needed to produce their “Delve” album which will incorporate sampled sounds from cave expeditions with original music. Their performance at ideaXfactory helped launch this campaign.

The Delve crew appeared in their outdoor gear

The night of the event, the Delve crew of twelve people showed up at the ideaXfactory after having explored natural caves near Springfield. Wearing climbing and spelunking gear, head lamps, and covered in mud, they walked the streets of downtown Springfield encouraging people to come to the ideaXfactory. Here is their stop-motion video of the outdoor day expedition leading to the evening performance at the ideaXfactory.

People of all ages and sizes could activate the video animations

The event drew and engaged people of all ages. Leslie Forrester, new executive director of the Springfield Regional Arts Council said, “It was exciting to see the variety of people who were there to experience the latest innovation. ideaXfactory is doing an amazing job of capturing a diverse audience that keeps coming back for more.”

Here is a video of people interacting with To Live To Love, accompanied by music of Delve:

Recent Wins
-- Both Russ RuBert and Jonathan Gano from the ideaXfactory committee attended the 2014 ArtPlace America Grantee Summit in Los Angeles, giving them an opportunity to learn more about the new ArtPlace Strategic Vision, network with other grantees in breakout sessions, and tour significant place-making projects, including the L.A. Historic Theater District and the League of Shadows Pavilion at the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc).

Drury University Cultural Policy class meets ideaXfactory committee to plan assessment

-- A collaboration has started with Drury University Arts Administration department. Working with special instructor Leah Hamilton, we are preparing for a project assessment of the upcoming “Morning Song, Evening Song” to study the perceived artistic, environmental, economic and social value of the event. The assessment criteria and methodology are being designed by Hamilton’s students as part of a Cultural Policy class project and will occur during the weekend of April 4-5.

Insight/Provocation
The good fit between “Delve” and “To Live To Love” was found by developing the working relationship between artists. Philosophies of both projects were developed independently by RuBert and by Thrasher and Burke, but once developed and paired, produced a symbiotic event that expressed an optimistic view of the possibility of achieving a mastery and control over the human body, circumstances, environment, events and emotions.

Bringing together like-minded artists who investigate similar interests and express similar concepts using very different media can create multi-dimensional experiences that appeal to a wide range of people.

Likewise, the 2014 ArtPlace America Grantee Summit gathered many together, creating a space and time for like-minded people and projects to connect on a personal level—sharing, learning and building connections that may lead to future collaborations and opportunities.

“To Live To Love” immersive video installation by Russ RuBert