The financial aspect of the project has been very tough so far, with a number of false expectations, setbacks, misunderstanding. But from now on we can concentrate on what we do good - creating the artwork and the installation itself…

Some images of the crew surveying the Hungarian Pavilion and surroundings.

Members of the crew were:

• Júlia Gáspár
• Sota Ichikawa
• Gyula Julius
• Ákos Maróy
• Max Rheiner

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We investigated different positions for possible Augmented Reality viewpoints, where we could place our cameras. These will be used to to provide real-time images, upon which we can superimpose the Corpora structure. Thus we will be able to witness the structure as it grows in public space real time, and also see visitors moving within the generated
architecture.

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We measured the wireless ranges for our Zigbee sensors in this environment, with emphasis on their range within the thick vegetation of the Giardini park. Also we measured if wirless sensors are able to cross the channel that is just behind the pavilion itself.

The sensors could form their mesh network, given some time to settle down, when places 15-20 meters apart. The channel could be traversed with ease. These results were reached when the sensors were placed on the ground - where we know that when they are high up the air, the range is even better. But, the bushes do decrease the range clearly.

images made collectively by the team

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Venice - where keeping the heritage equals to being backwards, people are not helpful and just making hard things for you.

This is a personal account of my first impressions here, and my second trip to Italy in general. I’m impressed - but not positively. The place reminds me of a circus built of facades, everyone very intent on not breaking their historic character. But behind all this, it’s like being in Tarkovsky’s Stalker, a place long abandoned, with hidden threats, obstacles looming all over.

The last time I was asked for an official ID at a cybercafe was in Shanghai, China last year. But I thought - yes, this is a police state and they spend all the effort to monitor everyone, even through the internet. I didn’t think that the same thing would happen to me in Europe, but it did, here.

Visiting the Giardini, where the Biennale pavilions are, looks like a park of a city abandoned, all the people have moved away from long ago. The buildings look megalomaniac but somehow too small, and are crumbling. The place is empty except for some schoolchildren exploring seemingly unsupervised space. And they find emptiness, trash blown by the wind, and the occasional excitement of throwing rocks at the rooftops so that the tiles drop and break on impact.

And it’s actually true - while there are people around during the day, it seems that practically no one is living here anymore. The deserted nature of the place is emphasized by the un-helpfulness of everyone here. Overpriced and low quality services, artificial obstacles put in your face all the time. Not something you would do to your neighbor or friend.

It seems they can afford being rude, as even despite open unfriendliness people just come and come. And I seem to be one of them, coming back in August to enhance the city’s image through taking part in their Biennale. Wonder why, though.

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They are very nice and operative people, and I’m sure it will be fruitful to work with them.

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Corpora relies heavily on Zigbee wireless mesh-networked technology to sense the outside environment, which acts as input for the generated architecture. These sensors are spread around, magically form a mesh network and start to talk with each other that way. Then we can ask any one of them, who will get the information from the other motes and then give it to us. Much like gossip and other information is disseminated and spreading in human societies.
As it turns out, our application got the go-ahead after the usual evaluation procedure - but, the Office has already spent its complete budget for the program we applied for on other applications. For the whole year, even though it’s only April.

This is a major setback for both displaying Corpora in Budapest next year, and providing required resources for the Biennale exihibition.

It’s always funny to work on multiple platforms at the same time - this is something I always liked actually.