United Visual Artists is an art and design collective based in London that creates interactive installations combining sculpture, architecture, performance, moving images and digital technology. Their installation VOLUME from 2006 consists of 48 sound-emitting columns that respond to audience movement, creating unique experiences. UVA explores spatial and temporal relationships in public spaces and how audiences collectively influence the environment through shared experiences. Their works draw from studies of artists like Rothko and Turrell while hiding advanced technology.

1. VOLUME
by United Visual Artists
Intro to Interactive Media Arts
Assessment Task 1
by Yulia Besplemennova 3406397

2. Successful both in the
design practices with cli-
ents’ commisions and own
artworks and installations
Explore the spatial and tem-
poral relationships between
site, work and audience
Work in the public spaces
Long-lasting collaborations
with the musical collectives
brought the sound to all the
UVA
installations, adding the syn- Established in 2003, United Visual Artists
esthetic experience of the are an art and design practice based in
environments London. UVA produce work at the inter-
section of sculpture, architecture, live per-
formance, moving image and digital instal-
lation.

3. Audience influences the in-
stallation but the reaction is
not direct, artwork has it’s own
“behaviour”
Both subjective and intersub-
jective. Collective actions in-
fluence the environment,
bringing shared experience
“When engaging with the
work there is a prevailing
sense of there being an inter-
http://vimeo.com/15260133
dependent relationship be-
tween individual presence and London/Hong Kong/Taiwan/ Melbourne/St Petersburg
the emergent quality of the 2010
system”
consists of a field of 48 luminous, sound-emitting
They create a special “atmo- VOLUME columns that respond to movement. Visitors weave
sphere” inviting people to ex- a path through the sculpture, creating their own unique journey in light
and music.
plore the built relationship with
The result of a collaboration with Massive Attack, Volume won theD&AD
the environment and each Yellow Pencil
other. in 2007 for Outstanding Achievement in the Digital Installation category.

4. Monolith, John Madejski Triptych was designed Volume, London’s V&A Origin, part of The Cre-
garden at the V&A for the Nuit Blanche art museum in 2006, Hong ators Project, New York,
museum in 2006 event in Paris, 2007 Kong, Taiwan, St. Pe- 2011
tersburg and Melbourne

5. Mark Rothko’s James Turrell’s Jim Campbell’s
colour studies light studies “Public Art”
Roots of UVA’s works could be found in the studies of other modern artist both “traditional” and
“digital”. Installations’ minimalistic appearance actually hides advanced hardware technology and
complex interactive software

6. Mobile Interactions

7. Brings people to “play” to-
gether
Explores the social landscape
of the environment
Expands the virtual and digital
dimensions to the real physi-
cal environment
http://vimeo.com/38413062
As part of a commission for the audiovisual festival CROMAfest, Mexico-based interactive agency Hotpixel
created a digital sculpture by visualizing tweets with the hashtag #CROMAfest. When users send a tweet,
their avatar tumbles into view on the screen, which in turn generates a unique sound. The users can then fur-
ther interact with the sculpture by changing the background color of the piece, which is done by tweeting
hashtag then a color

8. http://vimeo.com/21046519 http://vimeo.com/1976994
Peptone at Place des Arts Boom Bench
Nuit Blanche Montréal, February 26 2011 by Michael Schoner of NL Architects,
Produced by Departement Netherlands
Brings people to “play” together Expands the virtual and digital dimensions
to the real physical environment

9. References:
1. “Anxious Atmospheres, and the Transdisciplinary Practice of United Visual Artists”
Vince Dziekan, The Fibreculture Journal, issue 18 2011: Trans
2. “The code breakers: United Visual Artists see the beauty in binary. Their fusion of
art and science creates some genuinely unique work.” Creative Review [0262-
1037] Sinclair, Mark yr:2004 vol:24 iss:3 pg:50
3. “PROFILE: United Visual Artists.” Design week [0950-3676] yr:2008 pg:13
4. www.uva.co.uk
5. http://www.creativeapplications.net/
6. http://thecreatorsproject.com/
7. http://vimeo.com/