Shaina's project in khirkee..

by shaina anand

Khirkeeyaan (khirkee-window/yaan-vehicle n, hindi)

To be realized in Khirkee village/Extn, during an associate residency at Khoj Studio.

Concept.

To employ stealthy surveillance technology in the exploration and production of automatic and networked site-specific media. To do this with and for Khirki village, and its people.

Outline.

The device consists of 4 cameras at a distance of 25-100 mts from each other, within walking proximity but not necessarily within line of site. The images from all 4 cameras (as well as sound) appears on one screen in a quadrant. At the site and axis of each camera is also a TV wherein the viewer/actor/audience can see this quadrant of action/image/sound from all 4 sites.

Abstract.

To use security apparatus, used otherwise for surveillance and secret use. (recent spy and sting camera operations and exploitations) These will be embedded or rather implanted visibly and interactively for the knowledge and ‘use’ of the community-at-large. More importantly the feedback access to the images real-time on-site becomes a setting for various experiments in community networking and creative performance; automated story-telling and filmmaking.

The conceptual and creative use of such a device in process oriented art is promising. Unlike my prior media interventions, which have employed DIY video and editing skills to produce on-site televised media, this project pushes the envelope of that ‘site’ and ‘community’ based media. Here, the filmmaking is in a sense automatic, made largely through the potential and possibility of multiple views, realtime feedback and the absence of the ‘cameraman’ and video editor.

What will begin as a series of modules (each with a defined ‘end product’), will hopefully lead to a substantial exploration at creative ‘faction’ - a location and people specific fictive movie.

Gear

4 cheap security cameras

4 cheap dynamic mics

4 14” TV’s

Video Quad processor

4 mic sound mixer

RF modulator

Mini dv camera with AV/in.

90 mts RCA-BNC cables

90 mts xlr cables

90 mts RF (coax) cables

power at 4 sources for camera + tv

power at one of these sources for ‘control’ rack.

Techincal note: 4 cameras go to video multiplexer- split into 4 screen video-out. Video-out from tv goes back into 4 tvs on site. 4 mic sound goes to 4-channel mixer. Audio-out from mixer into TV. Out from TV into the 4 tv’s on site and into one master tape via dv deck or camera.