Silent Laboratory

Concept
“The slower we walk through the forest, the greater the secrets it reveals to us”
The Laboratory of Silence directly responds to the human need for presence in nature.
Peace, silence, and contemplation are perceived as a medium for deeper understanding, leading us from mere surface to the depths of things. In nature, we can find time that we have just for ourselves, calmness, and silence, which are increasingly rare. A third of the Czech Republic is covered by forests, mostly freely accessible to anyone. It is a rare wealth of this country, the significance of which we often do not realize.

Situation
The space of the multimedia exhibition, covering a total area of 114.3m², is situated on the first floor of the Czech Pavilion at EXPO 2015 in Milan. It adjoins the central atrium space directly opposite the main staircase's landing. At the center of the exhibition are segments of the biotope of the Hercynian beech-oak forest (live plants and herbs from the forest's understory), embedded in organically shaped platforms. The atmosphere of the forest is enhanced by a background projection. The image of the biotope with the background is dynamically transmitted to a large-format projection surface based on visitor interaction, enriched with an informational layer.

Space
The exhibition evokes a calm and intimate atmosphere. The walls, ceiling, and floor are tuned to a matte black color, from which only ambiently illuminated contours of the platforms, glowing plants of the biotope, and projections stand out. Visitors thus perceive only the essential parts, and their attention is not disturbed.
This impression is enhanced by the acoustic solution of the space, which eliminates parasitic sounds and allows the voice of the forest to resonate.
The installation itself accounts for one-way flow and varying levels of visitor engagement. For those interested in uncovering the forest's secrets, interaction points are prepared. At these spots, interested visitors can contribute to creating the environment of the entire installation through an interactive system.

Interaction
Within the installation, two clearly recognizable stopping points on the path through the forest (interaction points) are situated, where visitors can become active co-creators of the installation. Unlike most interactive installations that require activity, in the Laboratory of Silence we work with inactivity. The visitor must stop and quiet down for the system to react, revealing increasingly greater details of the biotope through miniature cameras on mechanical rails. The viewer can then observe through a display the level of immersion as well as the resulting images from the cameras capturing live plants. Technically, this is a very complex system, which includes monitoring noise, movement, controlling mechanical elements, and creating augmented reality. Everything occurs in real-time.

Construction
Biotope platform:
The organically shaped mass was created through advanced modeling and generation in 3D software, allowing for the fabrication of this complex shape. It consists of a 3D machined core, covered on the surface with a laminate shell.

Background projection surface:
It is constructed from a tensioned foil, anchored to a hidden machined frame. The rear projection onto this surface is divided into two independent parts (A,B), forming the background for two cameras, controlled from two interaction points.

Augmented reality projection surface:
The large-format projection area measuring 12.5x2.2m utilizes the same construction and projection system as the background projection surface. Two independent parts (A,B) display live feeds from cameras (A,B), enriched with augmented reality elements.

Intent
To evoke a strongly positive impression in visitors, whether from the beauty of the Czech nature, a multidisciplinary concept leading towards a naturally ecological approach, the ingenuity of young Czech creators, or the formal embodiment of the installation.
To present visitors with a simple, impactful, unobtrusive, and barrier-free form of installation created with the help of new media and advanced manufacturing technologies. The installation mediates the beauty, significance, and importance of the Czech forest as a unique ecosystem.
To connect cutting-edge technologies and new media with living nature and create a multidisciplinary project, involving experts from various fields, including top scientific and research institutions (CTU, IIM, CAS). Thanks to the innovative approach of laboratory imaging of living nature in real-time, technological solutions can also be utilized for further scientific research in the field of botany and ecology (data obtained during the exhibition will be used for scientific research carried out in collaboration with the Botanical Garden of the Faculty of Science at Charles University in Prague).
To formally and technologically build on the famous tradition (Laterna Magika, Kinoautomat, or Polyekrán) and create, with the help of 21st-century technical means, an audiovisual space in which visitors will be surrounded by an impressive interactive projection utilizing the latest technologies and technological concepts (augmented reality, interactive projections, robotic optics, image and sound manipulation software in real-time).