Education and Museum Concepts

Even people who like to go to art museums suffer from tired feet, crowded galleries and inadequate background information. In addition to these problems shared by healthy museum goers, there is a significant percentage of viewers who have physical difficulties navigating through acres of museum galleries, as well as still others having cultural and language barriers to understanding an art exhibition through blown up text or wall labels. The Dark Ride Project's concepts offer alternatives for art exhibitions as well as many types of commercial applications.

Tours designed by curators or artists, in a language, length and level appropriate to each viewer, enhanced with music, diferent lighting effects, even background histories in multi-media formats, including seeing the work of art being made- all are possible. Fun makes education easier; education leads to appreciation, and appreciation leads to a better involvement.

The scope of the Dark Ride Project exhibition allows exploration of a new concept in art using multi-media technology- where the art becomes an environment to be explored and where the act of experiencing the art becomes the art work itself. It attempts to remedy curatorial problems such as how to present information beneficial to viewers of different ages and levels of knowledge about art as well as with other physical and cultural barriers. The presentation is much more immediate and dynamic than the traditional placement of text and art on walls at various locations throughout an exhibition. The revolutionary approach and new technologies used in this multi-media art exhibition give audiences an unforgetable art experience.

Art has always been about giving viewers a new reality to mentally venture into. While riding the Sensory Integrator in the Dark Ride Project, normal reality is taken away in order to allow a free fall into the reality of the artist. First the walls, floor and ceiling disappear; then the sense of place goes, as will the sense of time and distance. As images appear, the intensity of looking is enhanced. Movement and interposing of several images allow the viewer to be drawn into a more complex, but interesting world -- as if you are lifted off the floor and flown magically right into the painting. Art is influenced by our surroundings and experiences. Erase the environment, (in some places) make it dark so you can't even see your hand, and suddenly the eyes are receiving without reference. Like the astronaut waking in space, a whole new prespective and appreciation is possible in creative space -- the art of Eric Rudd in the Dark Ride Project.

People in wheelchairs have a different perspective of the world- from about four feet high. When paintings are hung at "eye level," it is certainly not at their level - nor is it at the level for children. People with physical impairments miss a great deal in environments where they are not really considered except to the extent of getting through the front door. People who have learning disabilities don't read museum labels or explanations. They may not venture very far into a museum because frankly, it's not very user friendly to them. With a national emphasis on removing obstacles for people with disabilities, the Dark Ride Project demonstrates new concepts for art exhibitions and increases the depth of the viewer's appreciation and understanding of the art.

Few children (and not many adults) will read labels or text in art museums. Few parents have the patience to explain the art and only a fraction of the audience have time to use the services of museum docents. In the "Dark Ride Project," viewers enjoy a ten minute ride through "creative space." While on the ride, music and narration is heard. The Dark Ride Project is a work in progress. Using variations in future museum applications, visitors will have a choice of narration- for adults with an extensive knowledge of art, for the general public as well as for school age children and for people with learning disabilities. To include a diverse audience, there will be a choice of languages. Not only is art explained in the Dark Ride Project, but art entertains by being presented in a new way. The end result is a much better appreciation of contemporary art and perhaps, a desire to visit more art museums.

As a timed sequence exhibition, the Dark Ride Project is made up of modular sections. Each section can be assembled in an infinite variety of ways- much like dominos- in other installation sites. Even if direct gallery connections can not be made, the Sensory Integrators have the ability to simply navigate down hallways or other spaces to get to the next available gallery where the modular exhibit section has been installed. With limited space, the programmble Sensory Integrator can navigate in very small spaces and still retain the impression of great travel distance. Ten single seat Integrators will allow 3,360 viewer-"voyagers" per week to experience a ten minute ride. Double seats, shorter rides and other variations can allow many more viewers in a given period. Museum lighting and movements are controlled by interface devices which in turn are controlled by pre-programmed electronic "brains" installed in each section. These allow the lights, movements and effects to be activated in a planned way.

In Eric Rudd's Dark Ride Project, much of the ride-thru space is in the dark, and this is simply accomplished by installation of modular black panels with the art works attached within the predetermined viewing area. Dark floor and surface material cover all surfaces that are visible. Additional motors and controls enable art to be hung and moved from various angles and heights. This way elements are seen from different angle approaches and in spaces varying from large open 'landscaped' spaces to fairly tight quarters- although the viewer never realizes this. The entrance and exit areas have been architecturally planned to allow easy access onto and off of the Sensory Integrators. Most importantly, large media projection walls allow the viewers to get a full background and education on the art, as well as seeing and hearing museum acknowledgements.

What are the plans for the RATs (fond initials for the Dark Ride Project team who loosely make up the Ride Art Technology, Studios)? This first public opening of the project demonstrates the interest of merging new concepts and materials into the fine arts. The Dark Ride Project can be duplicated in any type or size of space, including spaces are small as an average art gallery. Furthermore, the combined technology has been designed to be used by other artists, in general museum exhibitions or in many other kinds of commercial applications, such as hotel resorts, convention halls or educational institutions. For example, a large museum which commonly would have thousands of feet of space, could have ten or more Integrators, programmed by the curator or artist, offering tours of the exhibition in several time periods and conducted in several languages and appropriate for different age and educational levels. The Integrator's design has been varied to include more conventional styles. Although the Dark Ride Project imploys a dramatic version for the sake of supporting the strong art of Eric Rudd, these concepts can be readily adapted to other environments.