The first version of Spirit Exposure. This experimental project is part of my PhD research which explores the ‘esoteric’ qualities of experience generated by machines.
第一版本的靈曝光（2012），以電腦編程控制數位相機，比較每一個影格間的動態差異來進行曝光。具有動態的物體會在影像中以光的方式顯現，靜止物件則保持黑暗，藉以創造某種「超自然」的景象。靈曝光(2012-2014)是一系列數位影像實驗，探討如何透過編碼，讓相機得以捕捉看不見的實體。在這個計劃中，藝術家成為一個神祕儀器的製造者，扮演着混合半靈異寫真師、半工程師的角色。這個作品延續了上一個計畫「能量感知」計畫 –關於空間特性（溫度，光照，濕度）如何能轉移到另一個空間的創作，進一步探討透過編碼篡改機具所能產生的經驗延伸。
這個計劃的初衷在於實驗電腦編碼如何能夠改變機具（如相機）的原始功能。部分靈感來自於阿爾弗雷德·斯蒂格利茨（Alfred Stieglitz）的「等同」（Equivalents ）系列（1922-1935) – 一系列關於天空的黑白攝影，藝術家在攝影的客觀性中加入他主觀的個人情感，以半抽象的構圖表達出某種靈性的寫照。 斯蒂格利茨透過攝影來傳達靈性啓示的概念，以及用科學的機具來傳達現代主義精神性的手法，與靈曝光計畫有相似之處。其他的靈感來源，還包含從1894年以來超自然學家關於「靈皮」（ectoplasm）的找尋，靈皮在當時被用來表示一種精神能量通過物理介質而形象化的狀態，據說是如同薄紗般的物體，靈皮讓靈性存在能夠與物理世界互動。有趣的是，靈皮的追尋往往透過物理及化學實驗來進行。雖然靈皮以各種類似形式出現在不同文化的靈媒及儀式活動，但未被科學証實真實存在過。藉由這些類似的意圖，我試著尋找數位媒體產生神秘經驗的可能。
這一版本以收集黑白靜態圖片為主，在英國新堡大街上捕捉行人的動態。不同的場景（如大街、火車站）的動態被收集、並置，以形成它們之間的異同關係。為了產生與傳統曝光照片相異的效果，所有圖片皆在白天捕捉，但產生相對黑暗、有如負片般的影像。
Spirit Exposure (2012-2014) is a series of visualisations that explore how the notion of ‘capturing unseen entities’ can be embedded in the hacking of digital camera. The artist becomes an unseen entity capturer; a hybrid being that is half psychics and half engineer.
The original intention behind the piece was to experiment how the function of designed apparatus, such as camera, can be changed through coding. This work was inspired by Alfred Stieglitz’s “Equivalents (1922-35)”, a series of sky photographs in which the artist joins his personal emotion within photographic objectivity. Stieglitz’s idea of enhancing spiritual revelation (Wilson, 2003) is largely adopted in my project. Another source of inspiration was the different form of ‘ectoplasm’ 1 practices in various cultures. This work extended my previous project, ‘Sensing Energies (2012)’, that aimed to examine the transference of spatial qualities (temperature, light, humidity) into another space.
In this piece, the machine maker merges with the character of magician, through the superimposition of natural motions (including human, plants) onto images. Different motion patterns are collected and juxtaposed to form a correspondence between them. I become at once the apparatus maker and alchemist; an experimenter and magician; the technological and esoteric. Images are generated on site in public spaces, indoor spaces and streets in Newcastle. All of them are created during the day and contrastingly became dark, negative-film-like images to show a different notion comparing to conventional light exposure photography.