In Search of Abandoned was on view from May 31 through June 29, 2014, at the Communitech HUB in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. This project has been made possible through the sponsorship of Christie and the support of Communitech.
Produced by CAFKA with the support of Christie Digital through the Christie/CAFKA Artist-in-Residence program and and Communitech.
In Search of Abandoned builds a computer-generated world using heightmap data, game engine technology and dynamic sound to bring together both an imagined and experienced view of a place. The alternate world they have been creating presents itself as a three-dimensional stereoscopic landscape. It is a lattice of woven geometry modulated by the spectator’s specific interactions with the world.
Ruth Gibson found “Abandoned” on Google maps – a mere dot in a white expanse. It is a non-place on the Arctic island of Svalbard. At the request of Gibson, Martelli set off on a sailing expedition to find the outpost “Abandoned” in 2010. Gibson began to build and construct her own view of his voyage and what Abandoned may look, feel and sound like. After keeping Martelli's documentation, footage and photographs under wraps for three years, Gibson and Martelli began to exchange ideas in Kitchener at the Hub and began exploring virtual reality to create In Search of Abandoned. The resulting animation is where invention and memory collide, science and fiction merge. For more information about the project, please visit the
background page on the the Gibson/Martelli web site.
Ruth Gibson and Bruno Martelli have been resident artists during the months of May and July 2013 and have returned to complete their residency in May of 2014. They have been working with the Christie HIVE virtual reality system; creating a new piece they call In Search of Abandoned, which will be premiered at CAFKA.14 running from May 31 through June 29, 2014.
Gibson/Martelli see their practice as an ongoing investigation into simulacra and the sublime underpinned by the tradition of figure and landscape. They make environments and performances using print, video and computer games. Known as Igloo from 1995-2010, their first work together won them a BAFTA nomination. They exhibit in galleries, theatres and festivals around the world including the Barbican, The Royal Opera House, Royal Festival Hall, SIGGRAPH, ISEA, and 52nd Venice Biennale. Bruno lectures at Bartlett School of Architecture,
Slade & Goldsmiths College while Ruth is Creative Fellow at the Centre for Dance Research at Coventry University's School of Art and Design. Their work can be found in private and public collections including Sarah Meltzer Gallery, Rose Goldsen Archive of New Media Art and the British Film Institute.
This project has been made possible through the sponsorship of Christie and the support of Communitech.
