Art - Film - Music - Games

What if you could design the most advanced and interesting museum exhibits today - using the newest interfaces available - and make the whole thing educational?  That's the mission of the Art-Film-Music-Games exhibition.

1. Text description with details as listed at: http://thetechvirtual.org/projects/resources/list-of-exhibit-components  This goes on your project page.
2. Four (4) images describing the project uploaded to: http://www.thetechvirtual.org  These could be photos/screenshots of models, sketches, flowcharts or other visual communications of the project.  These are uploaded in the files associated with the project.
3. Work as an individual or team.  A team may not have more than 3 members.
4. Exhibit has passed at least 2 documented design reviews. During the review you will be given feedback from the project manager and curators. If your exhibit does not sufficiently meet the criteria or show progress it may be removed after the 2nd review. These are scheduled bi-weekly but can also occur as needed.
Design reviews will be conducted bi-weekly.

Thu.  04/08/2010  final design review - absolute deadline for submissions

Thu.    04/22/2010  Qualified entries reviewed and choices (if any) by curators made
Mon.   05/03/2010  Fabrication begins (any finalized designs may begin earlier)
Wed.  09/15/2010  Gallery opens

5. Criteria for design reviews: Exhibit must be on-topic.  Exhibit must be clearly documented with text description (#1) and images(#2). Exhibit must be feasible to be built as a  museum interaction. Exhibit must be interactive and obvious in its interactivity (do not rely on signage).  If using the virtual prototyping area, model must link to the project page.  More criteria may be added to this list.

Exhibits that have passed 2 design reviews may be chosen for fabrication at any time during the process.

Resources:
1. Each project will  be allotted space to build a virtual model in our prototyping area.
2. Focus of work will be on individual exhibits.  For adventurous designers, we may be able to provide a model of the space itself.
3. We have assembled a list of some helpful online services which may assist in your
     work at: http://thetechvirtual.org/projects/resources
4. Get assistance and help by posting your talent needs or abilities at: http://thetechvirtual.org/helpwanted

5. Collaborate!  The purpose of this project is to generate good work.  This is a chance to show the effectiveness of distributed teams.

    This is a design exercise, not a sweepstakes. Entries will receive guidance at design reviews.

    Use various formats (sketches, screenshots encouraged) so that a wide audience can see your work.

    Remember, we are designing real, not virtual exhbits.

More about this exhibition:

Among the concepts and equipment that this exhibition will employ are 3D screens, PhotoSynth type applications, tangible interfaces, haptic interfaces, telepresence, gesture recognition, RFID, virtual worlds, augmented reality, holograms, accelerometers, surface computers, particle and physical software effects, web cameras, Arduino boards, 3D printers, flexible displays, synthetic experiences, real time photo manipulation, accessible low cost technology such as One Laptop Per Child, HD cameras, multi-touch interfaces, technology and the future of digital entertainment. If you were to build the ultimate destination where visitors could immerse themselves in the latest technologies while becoming engaged, informed and educated users of it, what would it look like?

This exhibition topic has the following sub-categories:

Digital Music

Develop exhibits which inform, entertain, and enable visitors to produce their own digital music.
Read more about this sub-topic - Start a project.

Digital Art

Develop exhibits which inform, entertain, and enable visitors to produce their own digital art.

Film

Develop exhibits which inform, entertain, and enable visitors to produce their own video.

Interactive Maps

Using maps as a starting point, create interactive exhibits that illustrate the capabilities of and technologies behind interactive maps.

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Augmented Reality

Augmented reality solutions are emerging daily.  In just a few years we will routinely use augmented reality as a natural combination and link between of web based information and miniature portable devices. How can augmented reality devices be used in museum exhibits?  What new experiences and connections will augmented reality make possible?  Use this Art-Film-Music-Games exhibition to be a pioneer. Push the boundaries of what can be done within and beyond "the museum" experience using augmented reality. 

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Resources you'll need:

Itemized "fill in the blank" and checklist for exhibit design:
http://thetechvirtual.org/projects/resources/list-of-exhibit-components
Get assistance with your project or apply your expertise to an existing project:
http://thetechvirtual.org/helpwanted
Software and other resources for realizing your vision:
http://thetechvirtual.org/projects/resources

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Other interesting resources:

Embodied Emergence:  explores how simple localized interactions between elements of a system can sometime result in unexpected complex patterns.
http://ambient.media.mit.edu/projects.php?action=details&id=41

Invisible Media:  augments objects to make them sensitive to, and able to inform, the focus of our attention. 
http://ambient.media.mit.edu/projects.php?action=details&id=13

Siftables:  aims to enable people to interact with information and media in a physical, natural manner. 
http://ambient.media.mit.edu/projects.php?action=details&id=35

Surflex: a programmable surface for the design and visualization of physical objects and spaces.
http://ambient.media.mit.edu/projects.php?action=details&id=55

Take a look at some of these projects and then prototype one of your own at:
http://thetechvirtual.org/projects/creative-engines/creative-engines-projects

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Possibilities abound for interaction between exhibits, the web, and the visitors. Each exhibit can be linked to others with the "Tech Tag" - a bar code driven visitor interaction device which is currently used to upload visitor photos and visit accomplishments to a web page.  The developers of this exhibition will specifically seek new uses and interactive possibilities for these links, linking content to the web using current Tech Tag micro site method and possibly with other social networking sites. The exhibition will strive to enable and generate user generated content as artifacts of the visit, in the theme of the "digital storyteller" uses of technology.

Got education content standards? 
The exhibits should put visitors in touch with the latest in tools and digital production tools while (ideally) crossing paths with science learning standards. The exhibits will ideally use the technologies themselves to illustrate uncover basic principles through simple interactive.  More on State of California content standards can be found at: (http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/)  Within these topics there should be a range of possibilities for designers, interaction designers, web designers and programmers, Second Life specialists, scientists, educators, or hobbyists who would like to participate in these exciting new projects that come with the freedom and openness to reach new experimental ground in interactive exhibits.

Open source licensing - get credit without all the hassles
At the core of the development of the exhibits will be The Tech Virtual's "open source" platform, whereby anyone with an internet connection and some basic software tools can become part of the exhibit design process. Using Creative Commons attribution licensing terms, contributions to the project become accessible by participating science and technlogy centers worldwide, in an effort to bring greater variety and participation in participatory museum content development. In doing so, the project seeks to enable new designers and voices access to these high traffic, high profile locations for their work.  It's a win-win formula - your contributed work can become known and even be installed -  without licensing hassles. Meanwhile, you might just find a project that is perfectly suited to your vision and style!

Scheduled to open early in 2010,  the exhibition will be comprised of:
* Approximately 16 exhibits to cover 8000 sq. ft.
* 4 "major" exhibits for centerpieces in the category
* Approx. 4 exhibits per each category in Art, video, music, games
* Exhibit content to be produced by mixture of local sponsoring companies, university tie-ins, and Tech Virtual designers.
* Able to accommodate work from graphic, product, interactivive, web, and software designers.
* Ability to work alone or in teams.
* Specific sponsors, software and equipment to be listed as availability is known.

More about this project:
The Tech Virtual is a project to connect science and technology museums worldwide with a talented group of designers, educators, and thinkers to design interactive exhibits and other museum content.   During the first half of 2009,  we will be designing what we think will be the most adventurous mixed-media exhibition in any interactive museum, under the working title "Art-Film-Music-Games". The focus of the exhibition is on digital arts, music, and games.  Exhibits will inform, educate, and empower visitors to understand new media and its implications, become digital storytellers, and learn the impact and history of the innovations fostered in Silicon Valley.  The exhibits generated in this project topic should form a basis for exhibit design on digital media topics for science and technology centers worldwide.