Amplifier for Art, Science and Society

Images: 1, 3-5, Julien Gremaud / 2, courtesy of eM+.

Space Heroes

eM+

After spending more than 1000 hours in space, Claude Nicollier has somehow kept his feet on the ground. Now emeritus EPFL Professor, Nicollier continues to promote space exploration and science though advocacy and education. The significance of his mutually rich public and scientific life is reflected in the annals of video and television recordings held in the enormous archive that Radio Télévision Suisse (RTS) have opened to the public.

The more than 8000 clips in this archive range from childhood scenes to spacewalks, which are not however listed in any obvious chronology or order. As such, exploring these collections is an overwhelming challenge, let alone learning about the exhaustively documented life and experiences of Claude Nicollier. The Linear Navigator unfurls this entire repository and its key events in temporal order, from 1988 to 2002. Developed in the Laboratory for Experimental Museology (eM+), the Linear Navigator interactively positions virtual information in physical space through an LCD monitor mounted on rails, driven by a motorized system.

In Cosmos Archaeology, the system is designed to make the screen travel along the timeline to specific years relevant to Claude Nicollier and his space missions. Wherever the monitor stops, the user is able interact with the content via the touchscreen to choose and play a movie from the collection.