Documentation by means of VR panoramas (2007)
creator(s) Ulrike Baumgart (conservator)

Documentation strategy:
- A representation from the spectator’s point of view of the overall appearance of an installation within a given space (with the camera positioned at eye level).
- Bird’s eye view (recorded from a height of 320 cm)
- Documentation of individual panels, surface attributes, curved aluminium support structure etc.

The purpose of this documentation was to convey an overall impression of the installation in a particular space. It includes a record of architectural features and light sources (daylight, artificial light). It also records the placement of the work of art within the space.

A further purpose of this panoramic strategy was the visual documentation of individual sections of the art work, surface attributes, cable ties, aluminium support structure, fastenings, silicon paintings, and the condition of the art work subsequent to its reinstallation (the silicon paintings on the installation were executed by Fabio Marcaccio).

In order to cover every possible angle for each individual section, and to be able to zoom into each panel and switch views between them, 11 different vantage points were selected. Excerpted details from a panorama image produced in this way can later be integrated as a screenshot into an installation’s “list of individual components”. They can also serve as documentation of individual components for the purposes of a condition report (see example: download document/research project/documentation/VR panorama).

To aid navigation, a floor plan indicating the location of each camera position (grey dots or a pair of dots) is displayed to the right of the image. The currently selected camera position is highlighted in blue.
The spectator’s point of view is arrived at by clicking on the lower dot of a pair of dots (representing eye level). The upper dot in a pair of dots represents a bird’s eye view from the same position (this time with the camera at a height of 320 cm). The higher elevation affords an overview of the work of art in context.

The interior views of the installation and the central vantage point from the middle of the room are recorded as 360 degree spherical images. The exterior views are documented by means of partial panoramas.

Click external link to access the images

Instructions:
Place the cursor inside the window, click and hold the mouse, and drag the panorama slowly in the desired direction.

The 360 degree spherical panoramas can be viewed along a vertical axis of 180 degrees.

To zoom into the image use the SHIFT button. To zoom out of the image use the CTRL button.

The panoramic image will download in tiled sections which may vary in size. A low resolution preview or a black wireframe grid is sometimes displayed before the full panoramic image resolves.

The image is able to be navigated as soon as the first sections become visible.


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