Labyrint




LABYRINT is a virtual city-world based on the 17th century book "Labyrinth of the World and the Paradise of the Heart" by the Czech philosopher J. A. Comenius, described by A. Spinka as: ...a suggestive image of the world as a city emerging from the darkness of a bottomless, grave abyss into a bright light; a city with a geometrically precise and at the same time decrepit, absurd and hopeless organization of environment and time, a monstrous and chaotic labyrinth. The capturing seductiveness of its superficial perfection and beauty slowly dissipates and disrobes as the pilgrim enters this city-world, through which the pilgrim becomes acquainted with reality, its true essences the meaning of life.

WHAT
LABYRINT is a Prague-based international project that will explore the new technical, artistic and philosophical possibilities of the Internet.LABYRINT will be a virtual and literal workshop where participant interaction on all levels will affect the final product. Lectures and presentations during the workshop will not remain static but instead will use the full capabilities of interactive multimedia.

WHEN
LABYRINT will take place from August to December 1995.

WHERE

  1. Live in Prague and virtual on the Internet
  2. Work-in-progress presentations at the TECHFILM 33rd Annual International Film festival Featuring works about technology, agriculture and ecology in November in Hradec Kralove (Czech Republic)
  3. Work-in-progress presentations at the international symposium "See the Fourth Dimension" organized by the Czech Council of the International Society for Education Through the Arts in October in Prague.
  4. Once a month work-in-progress demonstrations at the Terminal Bar Internet cafe in Prague, including live international video conferences on the Internet, will be hosted, along with a variety of special interactive events for the public.
  5. Presented at the Goethe Institute Prague's 5th Annual "New Media Conference" in the first week of December.
  6. Exhibited at the "Czech New Media Exhibition" at the Prague National Gallery organized by the Soros Center for Contemporary Arts during the entire month of December.
HOW
An Internet address (Web Site) explaining the main concepts behind LABYRINT will be online by the 1st October. Here, prospective participants will be able to view all of the major aspects of the program. The basic structure of our 3D Web Space (LABYRINT) in VRML format will also be ready, and participants will the be invited to explore and create the LABYRINT.LABYRINT will use Comenius's book as a design guide, as well as a philosophical metaphor.

WHO
The designers of and participants in the LABYRINT project include students and teachers from the Film and Television Faculty (FAMU) of the Academy of Performing Arts (AMU) in Prague, the Charles University Teaching Faculty, The Prague Art Academy (AVU) and Prague Technical University Computer Graphics Department as well as other international universities. The users, and further designers, will include the public at the Terminal Bar in Prague and other Internet cafes around the world, as well as individual worldwide Internet users.LABYRINT will be mutually involved with the Goethe Institute Prague, The Prague National Gallery, Soros Center for Contemporary Arts, the Terminal Bar and AVU in inviting international artists and speakers, and in various and continuing public expositions, conferences and workshops.

WHY
LABYRINT hopes to present the Internet to the public with a creative and philosophical perspective to:
1. help participants learn the technical aspects of this New Media and become more literate with it
2. examine the philosophical ramifications of this New Media
3. explore the possibilities of this New Media as a form of artistic expression
4. understand this New Media as a metaphor reflecting our world in the hopes of understanding it better

HISTORY
LABYRINT is a follow-up to LOCOMOTIVE, a six-week traveling experimental media laboratory, which took place during June and July of 1994 in Prague, Czech Republic, Hillversum, Holland and Viborg, Denmark. More than thirty participating artists, students, teachers and media professionals created 50 minutes of short experimental audio/visual programming during LOCOMOTIVE.

ORGANIZERS
Main organizer is Film and Television Faculty (FAMU) Dept. of Animation and Multimedia - S. Miler.Coorganizers are the following:1. The Terminal Bar - C. R. Kane.2. The Prague Art Academy (AVU) - Dr. M. Bielicky.3. Prague Technical University (CVUT) Computer Graphics Dept.- Ing J.Zara. CONTACTLABYRINT home page address:http://sgi.felk.cvut.cz/LABYRINT/FAMU - Animation and Multimedia dept. Stanislav MilerSmetanovo nab. 2110 00 PragueCzech Republictel. +42 2 24221343fax. +42 2 24230285E-mail. milers@cucc.ruk.cuni.cz

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