“Urban Oasis” is an interactive, large-scale video installation that is meant to create a peaceful green oasis in the middle of a very fast-paced urban setting and to engage the general public in an ongoing conversation about the environment.
The artwork will be presented on a 60″ flat screen and installed in one of the large windows of the Nature Conservancy building on Fairfax Drive, starting the first week of October. Sensors will pick up interactions (people/movement) that is in the vicinity of the screen. When there is no interaction between the sensors and people, the video will feature a pristine, lush forest of trees that are native to the state of Virginia. People will be encouraged to approach the screen to trigger a reaction. As more people are engaged and approach the screen, various life forms will be triggered by the visitors. The video becomes more complex to include insects, birds and animals gradually appearing as people become active participants and realize that their actions can affect the environment in a positive way.
The project will convey the belief that everything is interconnected and that we all are an integral part of the ecosystem. One of the questions that the project raises is: “How can our community come together to protect the environment?”
The Ballston BID thanks the Nature Conservancy for hosting this project, which is presented as part of the Public Displays of Innovation exhibition, and is not part of any Nature Conservancy program. The concept for the project, and the content, were developed solely by the artist and do not reflect any programs or positions of the Nature Conservancy.
Meet the Artist
Vera Fainshtein is an active visual artist with over fifteen years of experience in video, new media and design. She has an MFA degree in Digital Media Art from the CADRE Laboratory for New Media at San Jose State University and a Bachelor’s degree in Design from the University of California, Los Angeles. Vera’s large-scale interactive video installations have been exhibited in numerous galleries and museums including the Zero1 Biennial of contemporary art. She is currently a full-time professor at Anne Arundel Community College in Arnold, Maryland, where she teaches courses in design and digital media art.
Technical Information
Materials: LED video monitor, sensors
Dates: October 2014 – December 4, 2014 12-5pm
Location: Nature Conservancy- 4245 N. Fairfax Drive
Partners: Nature Conservancy