Factsheet
Developer:
gold extra
Based in Salzburg / Vienna
Release date:
October, 2016
Platforms:
PC / Mac /Linux - coming soon
Website:
fromdarkness.net
Regular Price:
-
Description
The documentary single-player experience FROM DARKNESS (currently in alpha 0.6) takes you to the streets of Eastern Africa. It’s a compelling interactive journey produced by the Austrian artist group, gold extra, who are widely recognised for their documentary games and installations, such as FRONTIERS, TOTEM'S SOUND, SOLE CITY, and for various works in European museums. Nairobi, capital of Kenya and sprawling power hub of Africa’s East, becomes the starting point of an intense investigation exploring the lives of journalists, shop owners, community workers, and urban refugees. Players experience these real stories through a fictitious character: a mother, searching for her missing daughter who worked in this region for many years. Through her eyes we can interact with street children, politicians, doctors, NGO workers, restaurant owners, and refugees, who share their insights in interactive interviews. FROM DARKNESS is based on extensive research in Kenya and Uganda that was conducted in close co-operation with African NGOs and many dozens of interviewees. With their help, the artists gathered over 60 hours of interview and video footage, producing an intense interactive documentary experience. The innovative, hauntingly beautiful, multi-layered visual concept mirrors the idea of uncovering various layers of information. It is based on collage techniques combining original video footage, pictures, and sound into a multi-dimensional environment. Interactive documentaries are a significant new medium within the genre of transmedia storytelling. FROM DARKNESS opens up new perspectives and creates a walkable piece of art. Viewers and players can explore and uncover layers of stories, memories, political contexts and dreams. A short version of the game is currently on display at the ZKM Karlsruhe in Germany and the Nam June Paik Center Seoul in South Korea.
History
After the work on the widely recognised multiplayer game, FRONTIERS, which addresses the militarisation of European borders in 2011, the artist group, gold extra, explored the roots and causes of migration in Africa leading in recent decades to the displacement of millions. The subjects of FROM DARKNESS are the ongoing "resource wars" in Eastern and Central Africa; the current circumstances of urban refugees; and stories of the daily life of local communities and groups of refugees. For the latter a special light was put on the Banyamulenge, a Congolese people who have been brutally displaced and are coping with the challenges of exile.
Features
- Original Documetary Footage from East Africa (selected from more than 60hours of footage
- Unique documentary gameplay.(ask Questions to real persons, not fictional characters
- Unique Soundtrack, Music and atmospherical audio taken on location
- ...
Videos
Gameplay Trailer Vimeo
Images
Logo & Icon
Awards & Recognition
- "Medienkunstpreis 2012 Salzburg for concept" Salzburg, 2012
Selected Articles
- "An intriguing blend, featuring interesting subject matter, and a wonderfully fresh method of delivery"
- PCGamer.com, - "What’s striking about the environments in From Darkness is how they are constructed through collage."
- Killscreen.com, - "You wont just watch a documentary. You'll experience it, which is such a wonderful difference"
- Rudolf Zange,
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Additional Links
About gold extra
Boilerplate
The Austrian artistic group gold extra produces artworks in and in between Fine Arts, Performance, Music, Hybrid Media. They are engaged in constant research in innovative art forms to create the matching formal environment for their ideas. gold extra members have created a great number of projects that transcend the boundaries between Fine Arts and performance, which have been presented at festivals such as the Ars Electronica Nightline (A), the european media art festival, CyNetArt Dresden (both D), Doppelgängerfestival (cultural capital Linz09) among others as well as international performance and film festivals
More information
More information on gold extra, our logo & relevant media are available here.
From Darkness Credits
Reinhold Bidner, Tobias Hammerle, Georg Hobmeier, Sonja Prlić, Karl Zechenter
Concept, production, lead design
Andreas Leitner, Martin Porocnik, Victor Morales
Programming and design
Lisa Nielsen-Spieler
voice acting
Susi Kerschbaumer, Titus Mwangi
Research Partners in Kenya
Abdirahaman Elmoge, Aganze Grace Baguma, Alpha Nkingi, Antonia Orodido, Asli Hassan
Ibrahim , Awol Negewo, Barbara Hünten-Kirsch, Charity Ahumuza, David Maina, Diana Agutu, Didier Nteziayayo, Emmanuel Nyabera, Eric Odhiambo, Eunice Owiny, Father Eugene Birrer, Fatma Fred, Fatuma Ajeeb, Fred Odhiambo, Grace K. Omweri, Peter Odhiambo, Gavin Oyas, Hibak Asman, James Muhima, Jean Paul Mutabaruka, Jennifer Achieng, John Serugo, Jophintia Abuoga, Lilian Mbau, Mohamed Hussein, Nancy Okwengu, Okut Phillips, Peter Kiuntere, Robert Muiruri, Sakura Atsumi, Sahara Dahir, Silvano Suma, Ochola, Simon Curgaja, Simon Gachunia, Simone Knapp, Stephanie Sommes, Stephen Kimanzi, Steve Murigi, Susan Wandera, Thomas Mukoya, Tolcha Mammo Gonfa, Vanessa Imali, Vincent Owori, William Wawire, refugee chairmen in Nairobi and others who preferred
to stay anonymous.
Interviewees
Kituo Cha Sheria Nairobi, Grace K. Omweri, Refugee Law Project Kampala, Mathare Child Fund Nairobi, Susanne Kerschbaumer, chairmen of the refugee communities in Nairobi, William Wawire GIZ Nairobi, Titus Mwangi, Christian Gruber, AMREF Salzburg, Egmont Kap-herr, AMREF Nairobi, ArgeKultur Salzburg, Schmiede Hallein, Martin Haltrich und Lisa Bohunovsky, John Mataru, Abdulahi Osman, Beate Wernegger, Sully Razak, Lynnette Polcyn and everybody else who helped us and welcomed us warmly
Special Thanks
presskit() by Rami Ismail (Vlambeer) - also thanks to these fine folks