In the framework of "Unternehmen Capricorn" project we developed a virtual knowledge space ["Virtueller Wissensraum"] in collaboration with 10 Austrian museums. The programme, built with EPIC Megagames' UNREAL Game Engine enables 3 users to enter a cross-disciplinary environment based upon objects from the Technical Museum, Jewish Museum, Museum of Natural History, Museum of Modern Art amongst others. The content provided by these museums had to be made accessible and comprehensible to users of different age, educational background and computer literacy. fuchs-eckermann developed a system of connotations amongst the objects, which then was translated into a spatial structure of rooms, corridors and places of different size, shape, remoteness or proximity. The viewer/ listener of their knowledge space explores a semantic structure by navigating virtual spaces with the topics being contained in these rooms. The connecting architecture between these rooms resembles staircases, passages, elevators, hidden doors or portals according to the nature of the connotation. Quite contrary to web-based databases and hypertext structures, the links therefore possess a quality of their own, carrying much more information than just "is connected with".

fuchs-eckermann: 'We are looking for something which Friedrich Nietzsche labelled "Gay Science", ["Fröhliche Wissenschaft"] a mode of experiencing knowledge in a joyful as well as thoughtful manner. Nietzsche thought that you can only come across important insights if you discover them when "dancing". And that’s precisely what the users of our computer game have to do. They have to move in order to find out facts, they have to dive and swim to get deep into certain areas of knowledge and they have to dance around to discover unexpected aspects of a topic.'

Following this methodology, the user of the virtual museum has to jump into a water zone in order to hear about the extinction of an ancient fish once populating the Danube River. The user has to operate triggers and barriers to learn about the dangers of machinery provided by the Technical Museum. Or he/she has to walk to down a spiral staircase to reach the hall of Sigmund Freud’s subconsciousness ["Die Traumdeutung"]

credits

fuchs-eckermann (Sylvia Eckermann, Mathias Fuchs)
concept and realization, 3D architecture, textures, sounds, scripting

additional UNREAL scripting: Christopher Lindinger
additional 3D objects: Jürgen Hagler, Werner Pötzelberger
player skins: Philipp Brunner, Ngoc Nguyen
video stills: Ruth Kaaserer
translations: Rosemary Mackenzie, Andrew Bentley, Leena Bentley
Finnish voiceovers: Leena Bentley
English voiceovers: Andrew Bentley
Exhibition architecture in Vienna: the nextENTERprise - architects (e.j.fuchs - mth.harnoncourt)

thanks to
Perttu Rastas, KIASMA media curator
Petri Ryöppy, Esa Niiniranta, Simo Pirinen, KIASMA technical support

---

Expositur - a Virtual Knowledge Space (ein virtueller Wissensraum) was first shown in Vienna,
May 2nd - June 21st 2001. The interactiv knowledge game was part of the show: Unternehmen Capricorn.
Eine Expedition durch Museen im Karmeliterviertel. (concept and idea Christoph Steinbrener).

It was also shown at: KIASMA, Museum of Contemporary Art Helsinki / FI, April 25th - June 23rd 2002

Collaborating Museums: Naturhistorisches Museum Wien (Ernst Mikschi), Jüdisches Museum Wien (Werner Hanak), Technisches Museum Wien (Hubert Weitensfelder), Österreichisches Museum für Volkskunde (Kathrin Pallestrang), Historisches Museum der Stadt Wien (Rolf Laven), Heeresgeschichtliches Museum im Arsenal (Manfried Rauchensteiner), Museum für Völkerkunde (Axel Steinmann), Sigmund Freud-Museum (Alexandre Métraux), Museum Moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig Wien (Rainer Fuchs), Öster. Theatermuseum (Agnes Pistorius).

Expositur - a Virtual Knowledge Space was supported by:
Bundeskanzleramt - Kunstsektion, Bundesministerium für Innovation und Technologie.