Forth is a public art installation by Karolina Sobecka commissioned by the University of Central Florida for the atrium of Partnership III, which houses the Institute for Simulation and Training.
Forth employs computer simulation techniques, interactivity and real time audio synthesis to generate a dynamically changing ocean scene. The seascape projected on a large curved screen is subject to the local weather conditions: the wave height and the atmospheric conditions reflect the weather sampled in Orlando and at the Florida coast. Small row boats containing groups of people advance across the expanse of open water, and narratives emerge within each vessel as the rowers try to stay afloat and on course in turbulent waters. A second screen in the lobby displays an underwater view of the scene, offering an unexpected perspective. Immersive sound heightens the richness of the experience, responding to the weather, and to the flow of visitors through the lobby.
The viewers in the lobby are tracked by a camera and are represented in the projection as paper boats floating on the ocean. The rowers may pick up these paper boats — bridging again the real and virtual worlds.
The University of Central Florida is the second largest public university in the United States, located in Orlando, home to the nation’s largest concentration of modeling and simulation research and related industry. The UCF Institute for Simulation and Training (IST) partners with government and industry to conduct simulation and training research; they also bring increased understanding of emerging technology, techniques and talent to the modeling and simulation industry. Partnership III will be located in the heart of Research Park adjacent to the university and will be built with the goal of advancing research collaborations and partnerships.
Karolina Sobecka’s interactive installations have engaged audiences around the world in new and innovative ways, including exhibitions at MOMA , Victoria and Albert Museum and Beall Center for Art and Technology. Using technology to bridge the ephemeral experience and public space, Sobecka’s work is evocative and playful.