A virtual camera circles a computer-generated version of a landscape found in southern Iran, recording a simulated figure standing in the road, dressed in non-nationalized army fatigues. The man performs a routine of gestures derived from contemporary military exercise, day and night – without ever leaving his post – for a full calendar year, during which the simulated sun, moon and stars traverse their actual paths in real-time.
In setting and subject, Infinite Freedom Exercise takes its inspiration from a photograph by Henri Bureau, the French photographer, which depicts an Iranian soldier during the first Iran-Iraq war (1980), watching a fire at an oil refinery in Abadan, south-western Iran. Created utilizing the latest motion-capture technologies, and in collaboration with choreographer Wayne McGregor, the figure mimics the prescribed gestures of mortar warfare.
Producer: Werner Poetzelberger
Programmers: Helmut Bressler, Matthias Strohmaier
Dancer: Davide di Pretoro of Wayne McGregor / Random Dance
Lead modeller / texturing (character): Michael Maehring
Motion Capture: Bohemia Interactive / Stephan Kment
Motion capture data handling and animation: Arx Anima / Christoph Staber, Patrick Zeymer, Stefan Kubicek, Paul Pammesberger
Lead modeller / texturing (environment): Martin Hebestreit
Modeller / texturing (environment ): Benno Verschueren, Mason Doran
Production photographer: Jakob Polacsek
Original military documentation: dvidshub.net
Choreography developed in collaboration with Wayne McGregor
Technical Installation Design : Jakob Illera / Inseq
Infinite Freedom Exercise (near Abadan, Iran) 2011 was commissioned and produced by Manchester International Festival and Thomas Dane Gallery with the support of Outset Contemporary Art Fund and Culture Ireland.
Presented at Manchester International Festival 30th June - 17 July, 2011on a7m x 4.6m artist - designed frameless LED wall.
02 April – 11 October 2015
John Gerrard 'Exercise'
Installed as an object.
March 1 – June 1 2014
John Gerrard 'Exercise'
Site specific projection.
1 March – 14 April 2013
John Gerrard 'Exercise'
Artist frame in rusted steel. PC. LCD Panel. Turn sensor.
40.6 x 33.9 x 9.3 in. / 103 x 86 x 23.5 cm. overall
The exhibition includes Exercise (Djibouti) 2012, originally exhibited by Modern Art Oxford* and Infinite Freedom Exercise (near Abadan, Iran) 2011, originally exhibited by Manchester International Festival**.
In Infinite Freedom Exercise (near Abadan, Iran) 2011, a virtual camera circles the landscape in southern Iran, recording a figure dressed in non-nationalized army fatigues. This actor performatively mimics the prescribed gestures of mortar release in an evolving sequence, developed in collaboration with celebrated choreographer Wayne McGregor. Infinite Freedom Exercise responds to a press image of a soldier observing burning Iranian oil refineries in 1980 and is joined in the exhibition by a new related work which represents these fires.
'More Real? Art in the Age of Truthiness'
21 March – 9 June 2013
Over the past century, a period of unprecedented technological change and global social upheaval, once agreed-upon beliefs, or 'truths,' have been cast into doubt, changing and shaping our understanding and experience of reality.
'More Real? Art in the Age of Truthiness' features work by 25 of today’s most accomplished and promising international artists who explore our shifting experience of reality.
This exhibition is organized by the Minneapolis Institute of Arts in partnership with SITE Santa Fe.
Exhibition Itinerary:
SITE Santa Fe: 8 July 2012 – 6 January 2013
Minneapolis Institute of Arts: 3 March – 9 June 2013
Manchester International Festival at Brazennose Street. Manchester City Centre
30 June – 17 July 2011
Frameless LED wall, 7m x 4.6m
Manchester International Festival is a leading biennial festival of original cross-artform productions and special events celebrating Manchester’s pre-eminence in arts, culture and music. The Festival was launched in 2007 as an artist-led festival presenting new works in performing arts, visual arts and contemporary culture, some of which was created specifically for the Festival by internationally-recognised artists and producers use MIF as a platform to tour their new material around the world.
http://mif.co.uk/
Video courtesy Manchester International Festival
Credit: Uploaded by bonniemeekums on Jul 17, 2011
» See original footage on youtube
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