A classic Text Adventure style game engine was developed for the artists, with the ability to add and upgrade the narrative as the exhibition evolved. Text-to-Speech options were included and players could explore environments and collect items by typing in commands such as "Go North" and "Eat Mushroom".
The accompanying book is available from the Ikon Gallery Shop. Exhibited at The Black Moss show at Ikon Gallery.
This music video, made for Detroit techno artist Christian Bloch (Tresor/Thinner), complements a dubby techno soundtrack with precisely controlled movement. The frame-perfect editing synchronises drum hits with the flicker of an eyelid. The video contrasts shots of a searching male eye, and reflected light in a female eye, together with glimpses of an urban landscape.
Screened on BPMTV (CA), Creative Channel (UK), Big Screen Birmingham, Roots to Shoots, Artsfest and Screen Test (Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham), Stratford-Upon-Avon International Digital Film Festival, Rapid Eye Movement (Warwick Arts Centre), 7 Inch Cinema and on YouTube
This video for Pemalas' music was created as a online promotional device not only for The Brum Creative Collective, but for Experimental Seafood records, who included the song on their debut album release.
The video plays on ideas of Reality TV and obsessive music fans. Screened on the Creative Channel (UK), BPM TV (CA) and at 7 inch Cinema, The Rainbow, Birmingham. The video went viral in the early days of YouTube.
Ben Neal is an Arts-focused Creative Technologist and has worked freelance for over 20 years as Psicon Lab (pronounced "Sy-Kon Lab"). He collaborates with creative people who want to use technology, and brings their ideas to life.
He also co-runs Displace Studio an immersive Mixed Reality performance studio with co-lead Kerryn Wise. Their best known project is a VR experience called Facades which has toured internationally.