In exploring the power of art to evoke the five universal human emotions of love, anguish, awe, triumph and joy, RINGS celebrates the 100th anniversary and the spirit of the Modern Olympic Games. The interactive CD-ROM features over one hundred paintings, sculptures and masks from the art exhibition together with original audio, video, and text materials. The art in the CD-ROM is organized in five rings, each representing one of the five emotions.
"Users of the CD-ROM will find their experience of viewing these important art treasures together enhanced by the audio component, which incorporates music that also spans cultures and epochs," says Calliope CEO Jay Heifetz. "We are pleased to be able to broaden J. Carter Brown's brilliant RINGS exhibition into CD-ROM form."
The CD-ROM's highlights include over 200 moving selections of ethnic and classical music; poetry readings from esteemed authors; global maps showing where the artists or the pieces of art originated; and zooming capabilities for detailed viewings. In addition, within each of the five rings are common links called "Passion Plays" that give a reflective audio-visual presentation of each emotion in its many forms. For example, the Love Ring contains subgroups of works that represents romantic love such as Auguste Rodin's "The Kiss" and parental love such as Mary Cassatt's "Mother and Child."
J. Carter Brown, RINGS exhibition director and director emeritus of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., plays a major role in the CD-ROM by providing video and audio introductions and commentary for each work of art. Design and digital production of the CD-ROM was guided by New York-based interactive artists Jim Gasperini and Tennessee Rice Dixon.
The RINGS: Five Passions in World Art CD-ROM will be available for purchase at Atlanta's High Museum of Art and at retail locations worldwide. It also can be ordered directly by calling Maxis at 800-336-2947 in the US, or 510-933-5630 outside the US. The CD-ROM is available for Windows and Macintosh. Suggested retail is US$ 49.95.
For information about the exhibition, call 404-733-4400.
