Andrew Sacher

CTIN-542 Interactive Design & Production
Public Space (Local)

SKIRBALL CULTURAL CENTER
2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90049
www.skirball.org (310) 440-4500

Mission Statement: “The Skirball Cultural Center is dedicated to exploring the connections between four hundred years of Jewish heritage and the vitality of American democratic ideals. It welcomes and seeks to inspire people of every ethnic and cultural identity in American life. Guided by our respective memories and experiences, together we aspire to build a society in which all of us can feel at home.”

Venue #1: “Visions and Values” is the Skirball’s permanent and ongoing exhibit celebrating Jewish life from Antiquity to America. It features artifacts, descriptions, photographs, and multimedia presentations tracing the “history, accomplishments, and values of the Jewish people.” The exhibit is sequentially organized in 12 themed areas including “Beginnings”, “Journeys”, “Holidays”, “Life Cycle”, “Synagogue”, “Passage in America”, “Immigrants”, “Liberty”, “Struggle & Opportunity”, “Holocaust”, “Israel”, and “At Home In America.” Interactivity is featured in desktop DVD-Rom stations that build on the enhance exhibit.

Venue #2: “Time/Space, Gravity, and Light” is a temporary interactive and multimedia exhibit featuring three installations/artists: 1) Mark Hansen & Ben Rubin’s “Listening Post” , Sachiko Kodama and Minako Takeno’s “Protrude/Flow” , and various works by Jim Campbell .

Venue #3: “Einstein” is a traveling exhibition featuring his life and life-works of Albert Einstein. The experience begins with a short video pre-show hosted by celebrities and acclaimed scientists. A sequential walk-through exhibit follows, with optional audio headphones, showcasing 6 themes including “Life & Times”, “Light Speed”, “Time & Relativity”, “Gravity & Acceleration”, “Black Holes”, and “Peace & War.” The broad variety of content is conveyed through collections, archival videos, physical models, text, sound, DVD-roms, and live demonstrations.

Venue #4: “Discovery Center” is a smaller permanent exhibit geared towards children and families. Visitors learn of the shared needs of past and present Jewish people. The exhibit features a collection of Near Eastern antiquities, interactive stations, multimedia presentations, and craft station.

Other spaces include conference/class rooms, lecture/movie hall, outdoor amphitheater, galleries, gift shops, themed playground (2006), and parking garage.

Posted by andrew at 11:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CTIN-542 Interactive Design & Production
Public Space (Far Away)

UNITED STATES HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL MUSEUM
100 Raoul Wallenberg Place, SW, Washington, DC 20024
www.ushmm.org (202) 488-0400

Mission Statement: “The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is America’s national institution for the documentation, study, and interpretation of Holocaust history, and serves as this country’s memorial to the millions of people murdered during the Holocaust. The Museum’s primary mission is to advance and disseminate knowledge about this unprecedented tragedy; to preserve the memory of those who suffered; and to encourage its visitors to reflect upon the moral and spiritual questions raised by the events of the Holocaust as well as their own responsibilities as citizens of a democracy.”

Museum Design: The USHMM was designed as a narrative museum with Martin Smith, an English documentary filmmaker, leading the design team. This was a departure from the traditional “collection-based” museums that are typically driven by a curator. From its conception the venue was planned as a 3-D and/or immersive documentary.

Permanent Exhibition: The experience begins with a 15-minute orientation film that provides an introduction and overview of the Holocaust. The main exhibition is divided into three main sections and starts on the fourth floor of the facility that is accessed by several large elevators. “Nazi Assault – 1933 to 1939” is the first exhibit and depicts the Nazis’ use of propaganda and terror to spread their ideology of racism, anti-Semitism, and extreme nationalism throughout German Society. Two short films are shown on this floor that help describe world and America’s response to the Third Reich as well as the start of WWII. “Final Solution – 1940 to 1945” is on the third floor describes the ghettos, deportations, slave labor, concentration camps, and implementation of the “Final Solution.” Audio booths presenting “Voices from Auschwitz” and be heard on this floor, along with the collections, photographs, archival videos, models, etc. The self-guided tour continues on the second floor with the “Last Chapter.” This section concludes the main exhibit with documentation of rescue, resistance, liberation, and survivor’s efforts to rebuild their lives.

Other Exhibits/Venues (second, first floor & lower level): The “Hall of Remembrance” houses an eternal flame and provides candles for visitors who wish to honor the deceased. “Remember the Children: Daniel’s Story” is for visitors 8 years and older. This section recounts the story of the Holocaust from the POV of a child living in Nazi Germany. It is hands-on with touchable artifacts and interactive multimedia components that are designed to engage the younger audience. “Children’s Tile Wall” is a 3,000 tile mosaic to memorialize the 1.5 million children murdered in the Holocaust. In addition, several Galleries showcasing local and national art relating to the Holocaust are located on several levels of the facility. Other amenities include “Hall of Witness”, “Special Exhibitions Gallery”, “Donor’s Lounge”, “Education Center”, Gift shop, and the Museum Café.

Posted by andrew at 11:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Bruce Damer is a fascinating man with an extremely broad spectrum of interests, talents, and projects. I especially liked his comments on the garment industry and incredible potential for change.

Every morning I cut through the glaze/haze with a cup of coffee and plan for the day. Among other things, this plan includes figuring out what technology I’m using, schlepping, and the physical ramifications of those objects. Lately my backpack, pockets, wrists, and neck don’t seem adequate for the ever expanding list of technology including mobile phone, laptop computer, fire wire cables, MP3 player, sun glasses, textbooks, sketchbook, Game DVDs, etc. The idea that my clothes could potentially help distribute the load, in a functional and aesthetic manner, is extremely attractive. Garments are a reflection of lifestyle, environment, and should (as Bruce suggests) support our current needs. Just don’t make me wear a suit that makes me look geekier than I already am (i.e. “society for creative anachronism dude”).

Posted by andrew at 10:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)