Redshiftis an interactive video installation that invites visitors to discover the world as it appears under infrared (IR) light. Presented as a polyptych across a variable number of screens, the work showcases pairs of natural and urban landscapes recorded simultaneously in the visible spectrum (~380-750 nm) and in the near-infrared spectrum (~750-1400 nm). The two videos in each pair blend into one another, with the crossfade rate varying based on the viewing distance : when a visitor stands far from the screen, only the IR image is visible. As they move closer, the image progressively transforms into the corresponding visible-light video. Stepping away reverses the transformation. This color-shifting effect, tied to the relative position and movement between the observer and the observed object, is described by the physics concept that gives the installation its name : redshift.
The artwork illustrates a philosophical idea about the nature of perception – that our understanding of objects is not fixed, but rather conditioned by our relationship to them, and potentially enriched when we begin to move and explore the space in which we find them. It also explores how the subjective and spatially situated viewpoint of spectators can be integrated into an otherwise static video work. While our human eyes do not allow us to see infrared light, technology can grant us access to this world, revealing mysteriously glowing plants, ethereal clouds, and a luminous, alien color palette. None of the videos were retouched in post-production, the colors were entirely determined by each camera's automatic white balance algorithm.
The conceptual starting point of Redshift is a thought experiment : what would happen if the sky were to recede ? In such a scenario, visible light would shift toward the red, and even beyond, into the infrared spectrum, imperceptible to the naked human eye. Redshift is a relativistic phenomenon and, as such, is imperceptible in daily experience. Its closest everyday equivalent is the acoustic Doppler effect : the familiar pitch change of a passing ambulance siren. The « real » pitch of the siren – as perceived by someone moving at the exact same speed – differs from what a stationary listener hears. The installation poses an analogous question about vision : what is the « real » color or appearance of a landscape ? In Redshift, the answer depends irreducibly on the position of the spectators.
Tim Schneider
Tim Schneider was trained in high-energy physics and holds a PhD in radiotherapy and hadrontherapy. Having transitioned into the art-science field, his research at Université Paris-Saclay is now centered on immersive installations in open spaces and the study of new approaches for tracking systems of people and movements. In addition, he is a member of the collective Le sas, where he primarily works on the creation and development of interactive digital art pieces and experiences.
