Tree of life by Benito Condemi de Felice and Pamela Moscarda
Aims
The project aims to tell visitors to the Venice Ghetto about Jewish culture and history in an interactive and ludic manner.
Experience
Visitors to the Ghetto receive a Bluetooth (short-range radio) headset which guides them around three interactive installations in the Campo del Ghetto Nuovo:
1) The Tree of Life itself, a tree in the square. Activated by photocell, the tree introduces the tour and explains the Venetian origin of the word ‘ghetto’
2) The Sottoportego, an arcaded porch. By standing on a ‘timeline’, the visitor activates a projection on the floor and an audio commentary, which illustrate the history of the Jewish diaspora
3) The Cabbalah Carpet, near the square’s wellhead. By walking on the carpet’s ‘Tree of Life’ pattern, the visitor activates an audio explanation of the meaning of the Cabbalah.
The emotional tone is serious but ludic.
This project concentrates on the Sottoportego.
Implementation
In a ‘real life’ version, the Sottoportego’s input devices are infrared or ultrasound distance sensors which detect the visitor’s position on the historical timeline. Its output devices are a ceiling-mounted projector which projects an animated map on the floor to show the diaspora in that historical period, and the Bluetooth headset which gives an accompanying audio commentary.
Input and outputs are mediated by a custom-programmed microprocessor.
In our prototype, pressure pads replace the distance sensors, and a laptop replaces the microprocessor.
Unresolved issues
1) How to send audio to the headset and program its sequence with our installation?
2) How to interface the distance sensors with our laptop?
3) What happens if more than one person stands on the timeline installation?