Vrielynck-collection

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The ambition to introduce abstract light patterns in a controllable way into the home interior is much older than the lava-lamp, the television or the home cinema. The simplest light source like a candle or an oil-lamp could be turned into a mesmerizing spectacle by adding a decorative transparent screen in front of it. The Laterne Tournante(circa 1880) is a predecessor to what is still to be found in many children’s bedrooms: an ambient, revolving light with scenes or patterns. With the magic lantern, an early form of the slide-projector, one could not only conjure up big, figurative tableaux, but also kaleidoscopic, abstract and moving puzzles. Such a disc (made of wood with painted glass and a copper mechanism) is called a Chromatrope(circa 1890) or in more popular terms: artificial fireworks. But even before, the so-called vues d’optiques or peepshows existed: boxes containing a scene with a day and a night version. The night version usually consisted of a configuration of bright, coloured dots of light, whereby the rest of the landscape or cityscape disappeared into darkness. The specific model of which such an image plate is shown, is called a Polyorama Panoptique (circa 1850).

This small collection of media-archeological objects is part of the Robert Vrielynck-collection, which belongs to the MuHKA-collection (Museum of Contemporary Art, Antwerp)


Festival Edition
IFFR 2007
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Festival Edition
IFFR 2007
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