The collaborative exhibit Patterns & Mermaid Tales shared work by artists Kirsten Aune, Alison Aune, and Joellyn Rock at the Nordic Center in Duluth MN, May 8-24, 2015.  Folklore of mermaids, seaports and underwater worlds is revisited by the artists through cutout collage, silk-screened textiles, digital prints, video silhouettes and multimedia projections. Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid, papercuts and patterns by Kirsten Aune and Alison Aune were digitally remixed adding texture and form to my inkjet prints and video projections. The family-friendly community exhibit included hands-on art making opportunities, inviting visitors to the Nordic Center to try the art of Danish paper cutting, to make their own shadow puppets, and to play with imaginary mermaids and sea creatures.

The Patterns & Mermaid Tales exhibit closing night featured a test of interactive digital projections created in collaboration with Pete Willemsen, computer science researcher and graduate student Logan Sales.

Pete Willemsen and Logan Sales developed the code in Processing  to add interactivity via the Kinect. Viewers of all ages could step into the colorful videos and interact with mermaids and fish floating through the projections. The event also tested the twitter feed at #nordicfish, with Netprov writers in Duluth, California and Australia tweeting into the projections. The work-in-progress tested interactive ideas to be refined as Fishnetstockings and showcased at the ELO electronic arts festival in Bergen Norway.  Special Thanks to : University of Minnesota Duluth / VizLab and MMADlab / for help with digital media for this exhibit. Also thanks to Justin Anderson and John Hinkel for help at the Nordic Center.

Mermaid Video Performers: