EKKMi KOLLEKTSIOON

Reimo Võsa-Tangsoo & Shawn Pinchbeck & Sulo Kallas

“Polyphonic passport photo v.2.1”, 2007/2011

interactive installation

The work was exhibited at the EKKM show titled Insanity in 2008, and thereafter, was donated to the EKKM collection by the authors. However, the authors have meanwhile brought their product to level 2.1 – a further development of the original version. Therefore, EKKM proudly presents Polyphonic passport photo v.2.1: Listen to Your Image!

The visitor first adjusts his or her hairdo and collar, and thereafter sits at the proper height. The visitor initiates the process, by inserting a euro coin into the machine. Throughout the process, instructions are displayed on the screen. A photographic image is made of the visitor. The information on three color channels – red, green and blue — is deciphered from the image. A histogram is created based thereon, which is the graphic representation of the pictorial information and is visually similar to the graphic image of a sound wave. The histogram includes information on two axes and based thereon the sound is created, which the visitor hears on site while the machine prints out the picture. The printed image consists of the portrait that has been made and three separate histograms. This photo cannot be used as a document photo. An address is printed on it, from which the picture can be viewed and “listened to” again at any time in the future. In the course of using the work of art, a database develops on the user, which is intended for use by the author – to analyze the work for creative and educational purposes.