WINNER OF THE CYNETART AWARD 2010

The interactive media arts exhibit “Post Mortem“ by Jannis Kilian Kreft takes the user on a dark visual and acoustic journey. “Post Mortem“ shows the biological decomposition process of the human body alongside a developing population of flies – all processes are scientifically and realistically depicted, forming a one of kind media arts experience.
 

HOW DOES POST MORTEM WORK?

Kreft creates a media space that allows up to 8 people to interact at the same time. Discovering death is becomes a communicative group experience. The users place one or both bare arms on to the surface of the table. The position can be chosen freely. Once the arm is on the table, the user is virtually dead and the simulation begins, all calculated in REALTIME. The user experiences the process of decay directly on his arm! Once layed on the table, the users arm should not be moved to underline his symbolical death. Nevertheless, a repositioning of the arm during the simulation is possible at any time!  

THE FLIES

At the beginning of the simulation, the table surface is nearly free from flies. The intelligently programmed flies search for arms on the table surface. If an arm is held steady for about 15 seconds, a fly appears to lay eggs. From the eggs develop rapidly growing larvae, which feed on the dead flesh of the arm. Once they have reached a certain size, they pupate in brown cocoons. After about 10 days a new population of flies hatch. 14 days in the simulation correspond to approximately 5 minutes. The more arms on the table, the more flies mature. Even the flies are not immortal. After the expiration of their programmed life span, they remain motionless. When a new user places an arm on the table or someone leaves, the living flies get airborne until the visitors are calm again! A graphical display in front of the users hand with accompanying brief information about the decomposition stage and the corpse lying time provides visitors with additional scientific information.

TECHNICAL IMPLEMENTATION

Post Mortem by Jannis Kilian Kreft is programmed in realtime. The virtual flies follow complex behavior patterns, that are modeled close to nature. Using camera tracking, realtime masking and mapping, the decay process is projected directly onto the arms of the users. The entire table surface is interactive and multi-user capable. All effects are calculated dynamically.Post Mortem is programmed in vvvv.

PRADAXA TABLE

The Pradaxa media table featured 8 touch screens that displayed the content making deep level information accessable to visitors at 8 individually controllable stations. The interesting architectural structre that framed the table was illuminated with changing color schemes, controlled by the visitor’s interactions on the screens.
 
Jannis Kilian Kreft designed & developed the realtime media content & lighting control in collaboration with meso digital interiors.
 
Programmed in vvvv
 

CLIENT: Boehringer Ingelheim
CONTRACTOR: meso

SIEMENS WORLD OF COFFEE TABLE

Set into a multilayered framework by Franken Architekten and filled with graphic layers developed by Hauser Lacour, meso developed developed the realtime content on multiple 4K-resolution (2560 × 1920 pixels at 60 fps) 30″-monitors, easy to access via a rotary dial interface.
 
Jannis Kilian Kreft developed the realtime content in cooperation with meso.
 
AWARDS: iF communication design award 2009, ADC Award 2009,
Adam Award 2009
 
Programmed in vvvv
 

CLIENT: BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH
CONTRACTOR: Franken Architekten; Hauser Lacour / meso

NIKON TABLE

This interactive multi user table displayed Nikons digital imaging technologies at the Photokina 08 in Cologne.
 
Jannis Kilian Kreft created the visual design and developed the vvvv realtime software in collaboration with meso digital interiors.
 
The colours of the table were chosen to match Nikons corporate identity, though using images as the main style element added much to the spectrum and formed a very colourful design approach.
 
To access the content six stations were implemented. Two additional layers triggered a stunning visual effect covering the whole table with huge photographies and closeups of Nikon camera details, making the entire surface interactive.
 
The content was organized in a floating semantic net and arranged around the topics Sharpness, Colours, Speed and Control. To open one of the items the visitor just needed to wave his hand over the table, another simple gesture of the hand browsed to the next item. The content consisted of short animated video sequences and text.
 
The playful effect layers consisted of two flocks of images that fell at irregular intervals on the table. A waving gesture over an effect layer image triggered a mask transition and revealed the picture very large as a slowly moving table background. When the visitor left the table, the main topic returned to its dynamic position in the semantic net.
 
vvvv was the multipurpose toolkit of choice for motion sensing and content creation.

Client: Nikon Deutschland GmbH
Contractor: Intersystems GmbH / meso

INTERGRATING ENERGY TABLE

After a concept by and in collaboration with exhibition architects echo ))) kommunikation im raum and communications agency mainfeld, meso was tasked to design and develop this interactive table & light installation.
 
Jannis Kilian Kreft created the visual design and developed the vvvv realtime software in collaboration with meso.
 
Visitors to the ISH fair learn facts & figures about the current energy debate by playing with a little universe of abstract glowing objects, which pop up at the flick of a finger, illuminating the room.
 
Tracking the visitors’ gestures with a robust and effective infrared tracking system, the table offers room for up to eight simultaneous users.
Due to the nature of the optical tracking system from above, interaction works without the visitors even touching the surface – just a wave of the hand is enough to trigger the text infos and visual effects.

Client: Messe Frankfurt
Contractor: echo ))) Kommunikation im Raum / meso