Infrared 5 (i5) is a burgeoning media creative agency head by forward thinking visioneer- Rebecca Allen-Smith. Not your typical operation in the extensive creative start-up culture of Boston, Allen-Smith is excited about the possibilities of collaboration between the Fine Arts and Tech through Infrared. Artist&Administrative Assistant Rosie Ranauro provided us with some insight on their inaugural art+tech show at the new i5 location on Amory Street in JP. According to Ranauro, this is going to be the first of an annual exhibit series called “From Paper to Pixels” bringing Traditional and New Media Artists together for a mind-melting multi sensory experience that converts i5’s everyday workspace into a formal gallery venue.

From Paper to Pixels showcases nine collaborations- think drawings that come to life at your fingertips, and interactive dollhouse surveillance installations-

From Traditional artists:

Aaron North • Anna Kristina Goransson • Ace Norton • Rosie Ranauro • Bradley Munkowitz • Sally B Moore • Sage Schmett • Elodie Sabardeil • John Guthrie

& New Media artists:

Rob Gonsalves • Eric Rosenbaum • Aaron Artessa • Sophia Brueckner • Keith Peters • Joe Farbrook • Kawandeep Virdee • Andy Shaules • Infrared5 • Steff Kelsey

The collaborations, according to Ranauro, really pushed the artists to relinquish control over their own pieces which completely transformed the work, and in turn, their expectations of the viewers experience. The execution and installation of each project brings up questions of authorship, the binary of art/tech, and the role of the audience in each experience. Super exciting was also the fact that it was held in the iNfrared5 headquarters, a traditional office space, that explores how art work can be consumed and function outside of a gallery space that is simulating a gallery function-

Rosie recaps on her experience in the making of Paper2Pixels, in detail, on the  i5 blog

The Art Blast crew took a peek at the show during their preview reception in September,

The show was immersive, and encouraged the audience to take full control over the interactive installations where it ranged from making music, to dancing, to simulating surveillance to drawing with your body.

And I couldn’t believe how sophisticated and seamless the design felt between the collaborations as they used Kinects to implement the participatory aspect of the work.

These pieces were really meant to be.

Below are snippets of the exciting experience: