Dezeen Magazine

Interactive fashion films at POST exhibition respond to movement of gallery visitors

Visitors to a fashion film exhibition in Milan organised by arts website POSTmatter were able to manipulate imagery on giant displays using movement and gestures (+ movie).

Gestures manipulate interactive fashion films at POST exhibition
Ripple film still

Held in a desanctified Renaissance church at the Accademia di Brera, the POST exhibition fused digital technology with imagery in a series of interactive installations.

Gestures manipulate interactive fashion films at POST exhibition
Ripple film still

POSTmatter curated three fashion films that were displayed on giant screens, each of which could be altered by human touch or movement.

Gestures manipulate interactive fashion films at POST exhibition
Ripple film still

"Some of the most exciting and innovative work taking place today uses code rather than paint, screens instead of canvases – reaching multiple senses and interacting with the audience," said POSTmatter.

Gestures manipulate interactive fashion films at POST exhibition
Ripple film still

In each film, models wearing haute-couture garments by designers including Iris van Herpen move and dance in slow motion.

Gestures manipulate interactive fashion films at POST exhibition
Echo film still

When stood in front of the screen that showed a film titled Echo, visitors used simple hand movements to warp the colourful movie into a spinning kaleidoscopic swirl.

Gestures manipulate interactive fashion films at POST exhibition
Echo film still

A fabric pad was pressed and stroked to blend together two films called Ripple in a cloudy haze.

Gestures manipulate interactive fashion films at POST exhibition
Echo film still

On another large display, the imagery of models from the Gravity film was shattered into digital geometric patterns that distorted as people walked past then reconfigured once they moved out of range.

Gestures manipulate interactive fashion films at POST exhibition
Gravity film

More of POSTmatter's films, including a movie showing Maiko Takeda's spiky headdresses glowing in the dark, were shown on smaller screens.

Gestures manipulate interactive fashion films at POST exhibition

The exhibition took place from 13 to 16 March and there are plans to take it to other cities globally.

Here's the information sent to us by POSTmatter:


About the exhibition

Launching in Milan, but with plans to tour globally, the exhibition combines performance, fashion and digital artistry in a series of interactive works.

The term "digital native" has become one of the defining concepts of our time. It refers to the emerging generation for whom the digital world is no longer an abstraction, but the very conditions of existence. To separate out "digital art" here will no longer be possible, as media distinctions dissolve into a fluid continuum between reality and the virtual world. Artists are responding powerfully to this complex and often conflicting state of transition. Some of the most exciting and innovative work taking place today uses code rather than paint, screens instead of canvases – reaching multiple senses and interacting with the audience.

This new exhibition series builds on POSTmatter's experience in live events, with previous projects being part of major cultural events including the Venice Biennale, Art Basel Miami Beach and the Lisbon Architecture Triennale.

Gestures manipulate interactive fashion films at POST exhibition

About POSTmatter

In a new series of interactive installations, POSTmatter moves beyond editorial to curate physical exhibitions, using intuitive interfaces that respond to human movement and touch.

Originally launched in 2010 as a series of independently published editions for the iPad, POSTmatter was designed with the interactive potential of tablet devices in mind. This opened up new possibilities for interactive content, responsive fashion editorials and groundbreaking film work. Having been honoured at numerous industry awards – from the Digital Magazine Awards to the Webbys – 2013 has seen POSTmatter expand its web presence as well as move into events.

The POSTmatter exhibition is the next step in rich media – bringing editorial away from the page, website or tablet to become a physically immersive experience.

Gestures manipulate interactive fashion films at POST exhibition

About the venue

Founded in 1776, the Accademia di Brera has a rich heritage, having educated figures as diverse as Lucio Fontana, Nobel Prize winner Dario Fo and Bruno Munari.

The on-site Brera Art Gallery houses one of Milan's most significant art collections, including works by Boccioni, Caravaggio, da Vinci, Picasso, Rubens and many more.

Placing these cutting-edge digital performance pieces in the setting of a desanctified Renaissance church, steeped in European history, speaks volumes about the radical human transformations being brought about in the post-digital age.

Gestures manipulate interactive fashion films at POST exhibition