Realism, Art, Technology and Audiovisual Immersion into the Environment of the Ionian Islands

This paper refers to the audiovisual recording, transformation and projection of natural spaces, describing the technology and methods for capturing panoramic sound and image, and the technologies and processes involved in projecting the recorded material through the mobile immersion environment A.R.T.E. (Artificial Restoration of Transmuted Environments). The project ‘opticacoustic ecology’, coordinated between 2012-2014 by the TEI of Ionian islands, Greece, involved the seasonal recording of natural outdoors environments, aiming at the documentation and study of the natural heritage of the Ionian Sea, and the utilization of current digital technology for synchronized audiovisual capture and projection, which enhances our experience of the natural environment. During such a process, a number of decisions need to be made regarding proper planning, choice of field recording equipment, techniques applied and a series of problems to be solved. At a later stage, projecting the material through a mobile immersion platform such as A.R.T.E. engages combined knowledge in the fields of mechanical structuring, creative design, audio/visual processing and projection through specialized software and hardware. Through the practical experience gained by the above, a number of conclusions can be drawn regarding the advantages of the achieved enhanced experience through audiovisual immersion, technical issues, difficulties and potential applications and developments for future reference.