Early morning of one sunny day of November 2000 Diego Lopez and Slawek Decyk took a train from Poznan to meet with Pawel Kula in suburbs of Szczecin. We decided to explore an extensive and abandoned gasoline factory in Police, destroyed by alliance during II World War. As a result of this meeting a new photographic project was created, with a purpose to involve participation of artists, photographers and all other individuals interested in a registration of a movement of astral bodies. The project was so conceived as to allow the participation of anyone interested no matter of distance that separates them from the original creators of the project. That led us up to make use of internet medium possibilities.
The general assumptions of this project involved a forgotten way of exploiting photosensitive material. This new approach can be defined as an “anti-technological” means of photographic expression. The basic assumption of this project was that no photographic reagents will be used. Obtained photographs will neither be developed nor fixed in any traditional (chemical) way. Images will be registered with self-construction cameras (i.e. pinhole) directly as negatives or positives on photosensitive material (on paper, although other materials are very welcome). Obtained photographs will be a result of light straightway trapped on the used photosensitive carrier. So, every participant of the project will find his personal way of interacting with Time peculiarity. This decision made us accept kind of limitation with all consequences and had an impact on our notion of what photography is nowadays.
From the technical point of view, light exploited in this way produce images that are continuously photosensitive, and therefore at risk. The same light that generated these pictures may now be a menace. Exposing this images to light may cause them to disappear permanently (darkening of photosensitive emulsion). Original solarigraphs can be safely viewed only in dimmed light.
The project generated a number of photos of the apparent trajectory of the Sun, which could be hypothetically possible to see if a human eye saw “slowly”. If our optical perception processes occurred at a slower pace, or if time flowed at a lower rate our perception of reality would be very similar to the images this project will generate.
The apparent orbital movement of the Sun across the sky changes according to the position of the observer in relation to geographical latitude. These different tracks will be also captured photographically during the realization of Project Solaris.
We published on website some tips for first project members, such pinhole diameter tables, and others useful beginner information.
During the project realization these indications should be carefully followed:
• cameras must face East and/or West, according to a compass or GPS readings
• all participants of the project should expose their photographs simultaneously
during two periods
• first exposure equal to first half of the suns cycle is from June 22 to December 22 (that’s mean approximately 6 months)
• second exposition should start on January 22 and last till June 22
What should I remember?
Its possible to use a pinhole camera or any another kind of camera.
Pinhole cameras can be done individually, even more than one.
Two independent six months expositions are what we aim for.
You can use B/W photographic paper of any kind.
You not need to develop it.
The image of the Sun will appear by itself.
Protect once obtained images from direct light action.
Images can be scanned or reproduced.
Any person is welcome to take part in the project.
Founders of the project are not any organization nor a company and their or other persons cooperation is not related to material profits.
The only objective of the project is the publication of images and texts materials concerning the movement of the Sun on the project web site.
No photograph taking part in this project will be used for any other purpose.
The project is only a means of communication for people with a common interest in the movement of astral bodies.
The project aims at the exchange and publication personal observations and experiences related to the movement of the Sun.
All photographs will be available at: http://free.art.pl/solaris (This site become my personal works site after one full Sun cycle was done and Project has ended, either there is still one chapter there related to what Project Solaris was in 2000-2002 as well as images gallery). That what was a Project Solaris in his early but complete form.
a list of solaris 2000-2002 members who made possible to see first images on project web site:
Paweł Kula
Slawek Decyk
Diego Lopez calvin
Przemek Jesionek
Adam Ptaszynski
Ramon Chomon
K.J. Baranowski
Konrad Smolenski
off solaris contacts
marek noniewicz
piotr rybkowski
tarja trygg
ramon perez chomon
Since than many things has changed, other projects appeared, but we never would even imagine, it will be so spread around in closest future. At the moment there are many people all around the world active and related to the main idea of what Project Solaris was, making great work, and leading it on his own way. So, from the other hand it seems like this project is not over yet. Thanks to people like Tarja Tryyg from Finland and Diego Lopez calvin from Spain this idea is still alive. Lets take a look at Tarja worldwide Solarigraphy map, its really amazing.
links:
It‘s good opportunity to say thanks to many anonymous authors for make what we could call as global project alive...
project
2000
solaris
2001