aPanopticon: first experience

Once the aPanopticon was up and running and the Anti-Gallery Gallery Show was underway, I made my first visit to see the aPanopticon in action.

Outside of aPanopticon

Graham operating it

It was exciting. I really like the look of the structure itself. Its intriguing and unusual and definitely looks like it 'does' something which draws you in. At times when there was strong daylight coming from the window behind, there is a sense that there is something inside as you can see glimpses of silhouette through the relatively open weave canvas that covers the structure.

Internal view, with camera in action. My jar inserted into the current work.

We tested a couple of objects that I had brought, on the shelves to see how they looked when projected on the screen. 

View of jar when projected.

The camera has strong lighting that moves and rotates with the camera as it is controlled. This gave an interesting effect with the reflection on the glass of the jar. In a usual gallery setting, the aim would often be to minimise reflection because it interferes with the experience of the viewer. However, in the aPanopticon, I felt that it emphasized the dynamic of the movement of the camera and the altered relationship of the viewer to the work of art inside. I felt I wanted to exploit this more with the work that I showed and to carefully think about the textures of the objects that I showed.

I also realised that there was far more room in the aPanopticon than I had anticipated. This meant that I needed to bring more work to fill it.