Composite Video Sample

The Soft Epic or: Savages of the Pacific West
Nadia Hironaka and Matthew Suib, 2008
5-Channel synchronized video projection with 5.1 surround soundtrack by Bird Show

Single-channel, low-resolution composite video sample

The Soft Epic or; Savages of the Pacific West takes the form of a moving panorama to imagine the end of History. Comprised of over a hundred layers of composited images spread across multiple projections and an original surround-sound score by Bird Show (Ben Vida), the work draws upon images and effects from historical panoramas, epic sci-fi and disaster films, and the paintings of Hieronymus Bosch in a fractured, dystopic cityscape dotted with eternal flames and chimeras. These images—layered, collaged and seamlessly looped—picture the forces exerted upon collective memory in moments of cultural anxiety and the fluid relationship between Cinema and History. Hollywood splendor usurps mythological and historical narrative in service of political authority and social order.�

Exhibition walk-through

The Soft Epic or: Savages of the Pacific West

Nadia Hironaka and Matthew Suib, 2008
Installation views

Audio by Bird Show (Ben Vida) with Hironaka and Suib

Installation Views

The Soft Epic or: Savages of the Pacific West

Nadia Hironaka and Matthew Suib, 2008
5-Channel synchronized video projection with 5.1 surround soundtrack by Bird Show
Installation view at The Icebox Project Space in Philadelphia

Composite Still Image

The Soft Epic or: Savages of the Pacific West

Nadia Hironaka and Matthew Suib, 2008
Composite of video stills