Forest Folk

“Enter the mausoleum slowly and try not to wake up the mythical creatures. If they detect your presence, they will react to your movements and transform.”

Nexus Interactive Arts was commissioned to produce an original installation for Dulwich Picture Gallery in London. Entitled “Forest Folk”, the responsive installation is an extension of the ‘Nikolai Astrup: Painting Norway’ Exhibit - one of Norway’s finest twentieth-century landscape artists.
A characteristic trait of Astrup’s work was to project his childhood memories onto the landscape of his hometown, allowing his childlike imagination to permeate his work. The concept of transformation is a key element: from shape-shifters to trolls to other Norwegian mythological creatures, any part of his paintings can come alive, especially if you know to look out for these surprises.
NIA had carte blanche to create a complementary piece, drawing on Astrup’s central themes of transformation and mythology, and to immerse Gallery audiences into a world of magical landscapes where reality and the surreal blend together in unexpected moments.
Visitors are invited to enter the gallery’s private Mausoleum slowly, and try not to wake up the mythical creatures camouflaged within two impressive digital 4k screens set up as a diptych. Through the combination of custom software and motion sensor cameras, the artwork can detect visitor’s presence and awaken from their idle state to morph into a living and breathing entity. A hauntingly low melody set to diegetic sounds of the forest further envelops audiences, while taking them through a cycle of the four seasons represented in the artwork.
Every element in the composition was shot in live-action against a green screen, then composited in post-production to form the overall image. Director Matt Jakob creates a pictorial quality that allows the artwork to embody Astrup’s style, whilst remaining interactive and modern at its core.


CREDITS

‘Forest Folk‘

Commissioned by the Dulwich Picture Gallery

Nexus Interactive Arts
Executive Creative Director: Chris O'Reilly
Project Director & Head of Creative Technologies: Matt Jakob
Executive Producer: Luke Ritchie
Producer: Sarah Arruda
Development Producer: Beccy McCray
Creative Director: Evan Boehm
Production Assistants: Lily Roberts, Orchid Vikskaiy

Nexus Animation Studio
CG Supervisor: Dave Walker
Compositor: Elliott Kajdan
Art Director: Callum Strachan
Studio Manager: Natalie Busuttil
Assistant Studio Manager: Alexia Provoost
Concept Artist: Russell M. Hossain

Sound
Music and Sound Design: Tim Harrison
Cello: Valerie Welbanks
Sound post production: Aumeta

Live Action Team:
Live Action Producer: Jess aan de Wiel
PM: Tom Cullen
1st AD: CHRIS RILEY
DOP: SERGE TEULON
AC: MATT WRIGHT
DIT: NELSON OLIVER
Gaffer/Spark: MATT MOFFATT
MAKE­UP / PROSTHETICS: MALWINA SUWINSKA
PROSTHETICS ASSISTANT 1: IWONA OGINSKA
PROSTHETICS ASSISTANT 2: NATALIA LENIARTEK
PROSTHETICS TRAINEE: LEMMIE CRUMLISH
ART DIRECTOR: LIZ MELINEK
Natalie O'Connor was Art Department Assistant
ART DEPT. RUNNER: CORAL CHURCHILL
Runner: ORCHID VISHKAIY
TALENT 1: ANDREA CARRUCCIU
TALENT 2: BOBBY AISEN

Filmed at CentreStage Studios, London
Camera Equipment from Panavision

Behind the Scenes Video - Cinematography and Edit: JAMES ALEXANDER

AV equipment and install provided by Richer Sounds (London City)

Special Thanks
Luis De Jorge Ladrero
Mike Peak, Jules Carpanen and Gareth Evans at Richer Sounds