"Video Zoo"

A time and place for fooling around

An interactive installation, which playfully introduces the audience to some of the creative video recourses.

His name is instantly identified with video and television production - related, above all, to children programs. Brazilian children have all seen and enjoyed the tv program Rá-Tim-Bum, TV Cultura's celebrated audience leader.

In his brilliant career, Cao Hamburger imposes the quality of his work on the big broadcasting companies, well known for their hostility and resistance to audacious individual expression, and manages to create his own personal style.

Deviating a little from his intent to unveil o the video universe to children and satisfy their natural curiosity, Cao Hamburger decided to participate in this Videobrasil exploring new areas of expression.

To this effect he created his first videographic installation: Video Zoo. In an spacious 200 m2, Cao constructed a scenery composed of animal figures which double as support for cameras and monitors. Each animal has a different way for the public to interact with it - in reality it is a playful proposition through which the spectator, especially children, can enter into contact with some of videos recourses as an instrument for creation and expressi on.

At the same time it explores a universe little known to all: the external point of view. In the giraffes eye there is a remote control camera which shows images of other people or that of the momentary participant, taken from a higher point of view. With the lowly rat it is different, he shows the unknown world as seen from ground level. The "flying" bird is connected to tracks installed above the audience, and transmits images through his eye-camera, of the world as seen from the heights.

All of this takes place in a magical and dream-like environment composed and created by artists Vera Barros e Carlos Basmak ¬ co-authors with Cao Hamburger.

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