30Km presents a journey from a face to the edge of space.
A circular image blinks into life and frames a close-up of someone seen from above. He seems to be adjusting something on the camera above his head and as he lets go the camera mysteriously drifts inexorably upwards. The figure becomes a red dot in a green field, the field becomes a shape in a patchwork pattern of southern England, and finally 32 minutes later the camera glimpses the curve of the Earth and the blackness of space.
The film was created with a meteorological balloon, transmitter and mobile receiving station. The insistent sound track of the film was created by the packets of GPS data that was transmitted with the video signal so that the team could track the device and better lock-onto the video signal. The journey ended at 30km above the Earth when the balloon burst due to the lack of atmospheric pressure and everything was lost. The only thing remaining from this journey is the recording of this signal presented within this film-work.
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- 30km
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’30km’ is a Film and Video Umbrella Touring Exhibition commissioned in association with the NOW Festival. Supported by the National Touring Programme of Arts Council England.