Project
Body Place, March 2024,
Bankstown Art Centre, real-time motion tracking, sound, two-channel projection, 16:9 + 1:5,
playtime 8-9 minutes
Bankstown Art Centre, real-time motion tracking, sound, two-channel projection, 16:9 + 1:5,
playtime 8-9 minutes
Lead Artist
April Phillips, Wiradjuri-Scottish (Galari/Kalari)
Virtual Art / Animation Director
Pat Younis (Lebanese–Australian) | Technical Director, Visual Effects and Interaction: Jordan East
Story Artists
Pat Younis, April Phillips
Musician, Vocals, Traditional Dancer,
Mocap Actor
Mocap Actor
Warren Foster Jnr. aka Prodikal-1 (Yuin Djiringanj)
Musician, Song Man, Language, Elder
Warren Ngarrae Foster Snr. (Yuin Djiringanj)
Sound Composer
Mark Leahy
Sound Design and Mix
Jack Prest
3D Asset Designers
Alvin Zhong (Chinese–Australian), April Phillips, Pat Younis
Exhibition Design
Youssofzay + Hart
Photogrammetry 3D object scans
from real world objects
from real world objects
Madison Shakespeare, Joel Spring and Genevieve Murray
Image credit
Jacquie Manning
Links
The Brief
Proud Wiradjuri-Scottish artist April Phillips, in conjunction with Tilde Visual (Pat Younis and Jordan East), approached me to help develop 3D assets for Body Place, an interactive cinematic experience exploring the concept of intergenerational trauma, the bodily ramifications and its visualization as country and place. The project spanned over the month of February, developing bespoke 3D assets and digitizing April's 3D clay objects into interactive friendly formats. Modelling, sculpting, UV-editing, texturing and then implementation of the 3D objects into Unreal Engine took place over several weekends, resulting in an immersive story-telling experience that is a sensitive and provocative futurizing of Indigenous stories.
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April Phillips is a Wiradjuri-Scottish woman of the Galari peoples, based on the Yuin Nation. April is aligned with representations of Indigenous futurism and intergenerational healing to celebrate the potential of computer art for a new world.
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Utp presents Body Place, by award-winning Wiradjuri-Scottish artist April Phillips.
April Phillips is a Wiradjuri-Scottish woman of the Galari peoples, based on the Yuin Nation. April is aligned with representations of Indigenous futurism and intergenerational healing to celebrate the potential of computer art for a new world.
In real time, the companion sky spirit takes the audience for a celestial virtual walk on Country – from the depths of subterranean soils, to a ground-level play space, ascending to meet the clouds.
“Body Place is positioned in the transformative powers of Country, driven by the audience’s movement.” April Phillips
Leveraging boundary-pushing technologies, Body Place combines real-time person tracking and motion capture. This allows audiences to roam an expansive illuminated 14 metre screen, in Utp’s purpose-built space.
“The work is many things – a cinematic story, an immersive 2-channel projection, and a gamified journey.” April Phillips
“Body Place uses the potential of technology to continue the millenia-long practice of First Nations storytelling” Hannah Donnelly and Jessica Olivieri, Utp Co-Artistic Directors
Creative Team
April Phillips collaborates with digital artists Jordan East, Pat Younis and Alvin Zhong to bring her vision to life. With sound design by Mark Leahy, sound and motion elements contributed by by Yuin musician and traditional dancer, Warren Foster Jnr. aka Prodikal-1. Work developed in conversation with Wiradjuri, Yuin and Dharug knowledge holders. Exhibition and installation design by Youssofzay + Hart.
