Heaven, Hell, Paradise
Heaven and hell are within us.
We cannot see them from outside, but we move
inside them with the aid of our will. The snares and demons which surprise us rise up from the depths.
It is up to us how we deal with them when they emerge.
Depict heaven and hell and move about in them with the aid of your own emotions. Then it may happen that the others will just look on.
Lucie Svobodová
Lucie Svobodová has, in several of her recent works, already tried to use artistic means to lead the viewer along paths which were laid down thousands of years ago. Taking new angles and using modern technology, she comes up with her own interpretation of the ancient human notion that things and thoughts are not only what they seem but, beneath their surface, they hide other layers, spaces and worlds. This intangible, mystical quality of the world is the subject of life-long study for Siberian shamans or Zen masters just as it is for modern physicists and mathematicians. To look beyond this frontier directly, in a non-abstract way, enables thorough, year-long esoteric meditative training, the production of psychotropic material - greatly used in history by humanity, although with greater sensitivity and responsibility than is customary today - or modern technology, for example, holotropic breathing. The artist does not wish to be, nor can she be an esoteric master. She does offer, however, the possibility to look beyond the ordinary framework of perception; for this she uses the most modern computer technology and she seeks for herself and for her surroundings the artist's new place in society.
Alexandr Neuman
A Couple of Words instead of Titles
It took a year and a half for the idea to come to fruition. All the environments, combined with classical painting, were created on Silicon Graphics computers. The work was carried out in cooperation with the Factory Art company, and I would like to give my thanks to all those who took part in the project (Ivan Bok, Hynek Pakost, Martin Janák, Jan Rybář, Mick Machulda, Lenka Zvěřinová, Olina Reindlová) who worked as producers, animators, programmers and also as my advisers. They formulated the virtual reality ideas in cooperation with the firm Total Vision (thanks go to Jiří Venzar, Martin Rak and Pavel Potoček), managing to create images with the aid of brain waves. The image was complemented with the music by David Koller and Michal Dvořák.
I would also like to give my thanks to Karel Hibal, also for the invaluable advice provided to the Neurological Department at Bulovka hospital, the Vega company for lending sensors for recording brain activity, Alan Drábek for the experiments carried out on the brain activity. I also thank Silicon Graphics for their support. Special thanks go to Saša Neuman for his assistance in organising the project, and for his support. Thank you.
Sponsored by: Factory Art ¶ AB Graph-Wave front-Alias ¶ ADK TI J.B.L. ¶ Rudolfinum studio ¶ Total Vision Lucie Svobodová, born 1963 in Prague. Studied at the Academy of Applied Arts in Prague. Hea exhibited since 1989, participation on festivals - computer animation. Co-fonder of the animation studio Factory Art - computer animation fot the Czech Television, advertising, music videos. Founding member of the Video Section at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague, and Media Archive. Taught computer animation at the Film Academy in Prague. Lives and works in Prague.