b a c k g r o u n d     O V E R V I E W     t e c h n i c a l   i m a g e s    p o s t e r s    p u b l i c a t i o n

Design Concept
Notes from the Exhibition catalogue


In Kaboom, the emphasis is on exposure : to give the visitor a taste and feel of the extremes animation can reach, and to illuminate the hidden base of inspired madness which has been behind the creation of the more radical strands of animation. The organization of gallery space for Kaboom is important in emphasizing the `data transmission' aspect of the exhibition. Rather than allowing the viewer to wander in centralized voids, casually moving through and surveying wall-works, Kaboom opts for a `decentralized' space: an environment within which the viewer/listener is bombarded with information. More like a carnival, dance club, sales convention or social arena than an art gallery.

The predominance of TV screens and monitors radiating fast-moving images - all encased in cacophonic sensurround of sonic textures - is to create the sensory giddiness of the cartoon world, where patterns of logic, laws of physics and the ways in which we see and hear the world are scattered within the whirlwind ride endemic to the cartoon. Kaboom is intent on creating a dimensional experience, wherein information is the key ingredient, and audio-visual sensations are the prime mobilizers of that experience.

Throughout the exhibition space, different Info Zones can be encountered. The Mega Rooms on Level 1 (Mega Zones 1 + 2) are designed for fleeting, random and casual intake, so that the viewer/listener can be overwhelmed by the sights and sounds, and get an idea of the intensity and craziness of the selected fields of animation `on-the-run'. The side rooms on Level 1 (Surface Point; Merchandise Point) and all of Level 2 (Dimension Image; Dimension Sound; Game Zone) are divided into smaller areas wherein visitors can take their time and sample the video interviews, displayed materials and numerous micro-documentaries and cut-ups. Think of the museum as a real-space CD-ROM with over 3,575 cubic metres of data and over 10 & a half hours of material to be sampled.

So wander randomly, be distracted and consume more than you can handle. Pass through the dynamic decor, graphic corridors and sonic carpet which now line the museum walls. The still image has disappeared; photography is forgotten; sounds abound. This is the world of animation. This is Kaboom.

Complete contents of this page © Philip Brophy