Gestalten mit digitalen Medien

A project by Markus Kison
Project website markuskison.de/crucifixion

Videos

Abstract

„Crucifixion“ is a medial installation for the side altar of a church. The shadow of a physical altar crucifix tells of the events, which happened during Jesus‘ crucifixion, according to their description in the four Gospels.

Downloads

Download projector presentation (pdf) during "Rundgang 2006".

Project description

Already the first paintings of the Jesus‘ crucifixion led to the question of showing Jesus with eyes open or closed, as the story is about the transition from life to death. With the qualities of painting as medium, it was not possible to communicate time-based, and therefore in the beginning artists decided (in contrast to posterior paintings) to show Jesus with eyes open.

Figure 1: Jesus with eyes open
Ivory relief, between 420-430
British Museum, London

Today we often use a very reduced symbol of the cross to remind of the miracle of resurrection. The stories behind the cross however, tend to be forgotten, as they can not be read from the symbol and were traditionally communicated by the Bible, which often reads quite strange for today‘s young people. Thereby the interesting details, the tension and particularly the delightful, historical and mysterious secrets get lost. „Crucifixion“ uses the possibilities of the modern time-based media, to tell this important story in a contemporary way. The in the Gospels described events were turned into shadows and are projected on a physical cross, sitting on an altar. The cross remains a untouched, static, ritual object, while its shadow is extended medial by the content. „Crucifixion“ classifies into the tradition of visualising the crucifixion-scene according to the spirit of each different epoch, in order to make the content also accessible to the layman. At the same time historical paintings from different centuries served as source, in order to reproduce details correctly.

Figure 2: Painting as source of information
Rabbula Manuscript, 586
Biblioteca Medicea-Laurenziana, Florence

All in all ten scenes are shown in twelve minutes. They all occurred around Jesus‘ cross on the hill Golgotha. Meanwhile the shadow of the physical cross moves, comparable to the run of the sun, from left to right. After a short break, the whole story starts from the beginning.

Realisation

The film was realized in the bluebox with several actors. Therefore costumes were tailored, which could be read in the later silhouettes as the historical persons. The raw material was keyed in a compositingsoftware and the individually filmed persons such as Jesus, the soldiers or Pilatus were assembled to the ten scenes. In an other composition these scenes were arranged around a virtual reproduction of the cross in a virtual set. In the computer the entire composition was highlighted with a virtual spotlight, to receive very real shadows, which move along with the changing position of the sun during a day and offer accurate proportions. During the later rendering, cross and films were faded out, so that only their shadows remain. The rendered film is projected from above, using a mirror. Another small spotlight is standing in front of the altar, illuminating the cross and making the shadow believable.

Chapters of the installation

The three crosses
High priests want Pilatus to change the inscription
Soldiers divide the dress and play for it
People pass along and blaspheme
Jesus talks to Maria
Eclipse of the sun
Soldiers serve vinegar to drink
Jesus dies, the curtain in the temple tears, captain is frightened
A soldier lances Jesus into the side
Jesus‘ corpse is taken down by Joseph of Arimathea

Pictures

Making-of

Here are some pictures about the production of the chapters.