Vectorial Elevation: Relational Architecture No. 4 (English and Spanish Edition)

With the arrival of the year 2000, Mexico City's Z calo Square was transformed by immense light sculptures created by participants on the Internet using a virtual reality program. This book documents the interactive art project Vectorial Elevation, which allowed thousands of people from 89 countries to control 18 robotic searchlights with 126,000 watts of power and link Cyberspace with Mexico's most emblematic urban landscape. Prominent artists and critics analyze the historical, aesthetic and technological impact of this massive "Relational Architecture" intervention. With essays by Andreas Broeckmann (Germany), Daniel Canogar (Spain), Erik Davis (USA), Mar a Fern ndez (Nicaragua / USA), Erkki Huhtamo (Finland), Geert Lovink (Netherlands / Australia), Brian Massumi (USA), M nica Mayer (Mexico), Jos Luis Paredes "Pacho" (Mexico) and Axel Roch (Germany).

Spanish-English bilingual edition, 346 pages, 233 color illustrations.

About the installation:

Vectorial Elevation was a large scale interactive installation that transformed Mexico City s historic center using robotic searchlights controlled over the Internet.The sculptures, made by 18 xenon searchlights located around the Z calo Square, could be seen from a 10-mile radius and were sequentially rendered as they arrived over the Net.

The website featured a 3D-java interface that allowed participants to make a vectorial design over the city and see it virtually from any point of view. When the project server in Mexico received a submission, it was numbered and entered into a queue. Every six seconds the searchlights would orient themselves automatically and three webcams would take pictures to document a participant s design. An archive page was made for each participant with comments, information and watermarked photos of their design. A notification email message was sent once the archive web page was done.