Kate Richards

A collaboration with Sarah Waterson, ‘sub_scape’ is a real-time generative system for manipulating data streams. The system samples, folds and re maps one data set onto another. The data sets comprise numerical data, and data streams of video and audio. Using elegant rules, ‘sub_scape’ generates poetic ecologies of sound and image. What emerge from the system are aesthetic complexes and evolving patterns, along with anomalies, turbulence and recursive effects. The system exhibits confluence, paradox, metaphor and commentary, arising from the intriguing combinations of source data and formal strategies. ‘sub_scape’ is housed in a periscope object for single visitor use. The periscope has an in-built screen. The visitor sits to view the display. By turning the periscope horizontally, the visitor changes the data flows and effects. There have been 3 iterations of sub_scape - sub_scapeBALTIC at ISEA2004 Helsinki; sub_scapePROOF at Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) 2005 for PROOF: the act of seeing with one’s own eyes; and sub_scapeMACHINIMA.  Media: subscape software; video/audio feed; real time effects; aluminium periscope with audience interactivity.

While at the Historic Houses Trust of NSW, and their flagship site Museum of Sydney, I designed and produced many multimedia displays. Design challenges involved working with historical and archival content; synthesising modern technologies with old; interaction design for public places, and integrating timebased media into museum displays.

The video wall is the architectural and conceptual backbone of the Museum of Sydney. In 2002 the Museum undertook the technical and creative refurbishment of the wall. I was the creative producer on the project working with a contract technical producer and project managers from Root Projects Australia. Media: 4 x channels of synchronised rear projected video; custom control system AMX; custom rear projection screens.

‘Beautiful Minds: the centennial exhibition of the Nobel prizes’. April – June 2007.The exhibition was developed by the Nobel Museum in Stockholm, Sweden on the centenary of the Nobel Prize in 2001 and has since travelled to 12 countries including Sweden, Japan, Korea, America, Britain and Singapore. UTS was its only Australian destination. ‘Beautiful Minds’ explores the creativity of the scientists, writers, economists and peacemakers who have been recognised by the Nobel Foundation, posing questions such as, ‘What is creativity and how can creative activity best be encouraged? Does creativity rest with an individual or a creative milieux?’ Sponsored by the Nobel museum, UTS and Volvo. Media: Over 20 displays, some comprising up to 10 showcases containing multimedia and object displays; 2 x theatrettes; interactive software and 6 online kiosks; web presence; branding (video trailer etc); public program.

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Life After Wartime is a suite of multimedia artworks by Kate Richards and Ross Gibson. Based on 3000 archival scene-of-crime images from Sydney and thousands of evocative texts by Gibson, each iteration within the suite uses various design and interaction techniques to engage its audience.The suite comprises:Crime Scene - 1999-2000 - Justice & Police Museum Sydney and touringDarkness Loiters - 2000 - an interactive story engineLife After Wartime CD-ROM - 2003 - exhibited nationally and internationally, for sale through the artists, funded by the Australian Film CommissionLife After Wartime live with The Necks - Adelaide Fringe Festival 2001 and Sydney Opera House 2003 - a live improvised event with world renowned jazz trio The NecksStreet XRays - 2005 - Gibson’s re-photography installation at ACMIBystander - 2007 - a 5 channel interactive and immersive video installation at The Performance Space@CarriageWorks Sydney 2007for more information on the projects seewww.lifeafterwartime.com

Bystander is a 5-channel interactive video installation by artists Ross Gibson and Kate Richards. Bystander is installed in a 7-metre-wide pentagonal frame comprised of five projection-screens and surround sound audio which visitors enter – up to 12 at once. All round them, a spirit-world of images, texts and sound gets composed in response to their movement, mass and attentiveness. The room is a kind of performative story-generator haunted by Sydney’s recent past. Depending on the behaviour of visitors, a variable and volatile world of audiovisual narrative evolves endlessly but cogently. Bystander exhibits emergent behaviours - complex narrative, aesthetic and semantic patterns emerge out of simple, elegant rules and interface.

Wayfarer is a realtime game and multimedia event for four performers, four audience groups and passersby.Using their voices, each audience group will direct performers to explore and undertake a series of tasks inside the new and largely unknown Carriageworks building, hidden from the audience’s view. The audience will track their performer’s progress via streamed video, audio and locative data on large exterior projection screens.Wayfarer is a truly hybrid concept, where live and mediated performance, urban choreography, tactical media, parkour, neo-situationist strategies, gameplay and site specificity come together in a volatile mix.MyspaceSMH Review