New digital artwork captures views of Exeter

Video+sound installation creates a contemporary portrait of the city through the eyes of its residents.

A new video+sound installation composed of views from the homes of 40 Exeter residents will spend the summer at the Royal Albert Memorial Museum (RAMM). This City’s Centre 1: Window, sited in the central courtyard until 22 September, offers a unique audio-visual portrait of Exeter, and encourages us to look at the city anew.

Produced by Devon-based art collective Blind Ditch, This City’s Centre 1: Window offers a progressive image generated from the favoured domestic views of people living within 10 minutes’ walk of Cathedral Green. A visual and acoustic composition that gently probes the boundaries between private and public life, Window allows for an evolving sense of who populates Exeter and how these people perceive the city.

Blind Ditch artist Volkhardt Müller, who has created the installation in collaboration with sound designer John Levack Drever, said: “During the making of this work I have seen the same area time and again, not just from various angles but – importantly – from various elevations. In contrast to most people's street-level experience of their city, I have had the privilege to move within a 3D grid. Most of us know the excitement we feel when we see our city at an unusual angle from a friend’s window for the first time; while filming the video element of Window I found myself looking out onto a patch that should be familiar, thinking: Is this Exeter?”

Volkhardt continued: “The city keeps presenting itself in ever new guises and I am pleased to say that the experience has been quite beautiful. Even more exciting is the fact that we will be able to share it – as a gift from all those people who chose to participate in the project.”

This City’s Centre 1: Window is the first part of a digital triptych of Exeter, which will be completed by Linger, an interactive mapped walk of Exeter views, and Here, Now, a live performance with streamed video showing as part of Unexpected 2013, Exeter's brand new arts festival. The project is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England, and Exeter City Council.

Rosie Denham, who is Exeter’s Lead Councillor for Economy and Culture, said: “We believe that fostering creativity and innovation helps make Exeter a great place to live and work and are delighted to be supporting Blind Ditch’s This City’s Centre project. This project encourages us to look at our city in a new light and demonstrates that Exeter-based practitioners are at the forefront of new and exciting digital-based art and performance.”

To find out more about this project you can visit the website: www.thiscitycentre.net