Next year, in spring, the "Generosa Enterprise“ will accompany its visitors through time and space. Curt Walter Tannhäuser and Beat Signer, the project's designers (see box), created the "Generosa Enterprise“ within the framework of "Discover Earth and Life Dynamics“ (DELD) (1) for ETH's 150th Jubilee celebrations (2). They see their enterprise, first of all, as an interactive game, which, by the example of Monte Generoso in Canton Tessin, should bring together science and art. In former times, art and science were always very closely linked, explains Curt Walter Tannhäuser. It was important to him to renew this union and the "Generosa Enterprise“ project was conceived with this principle in mind.

Concentrated knowledge

"Generosa Enterprise“ unites all the worlds that intersect in Monte Generoso. Photos and films of gorges and streams, close-up views of flora and fauna, pieces of music, literature in German and Italian together with research results of scientific studies of the region surrounding the mountain–all this is amassed in a special OMS database, developed at ETH. Regional associations of Canton Tessin and numerous research institutes at ETH help to replenish the database.

Inside the Enterprise

What awaits the visitors when they plunge into Monte Generoso's world of knowledge at Platzspitz? Four players at a time can board the "Generosa Enterprise“. Equipped with a device like a pen that holds a camera, the first point of call aims to summon up the creativity of the visitors. They are encouraged to indulge their artistic faculties and link paper and digital media. Beat Signer developed the necessary iServer software architecture as part of his PhD thesis under the supervision of Professor Moira C. Norrie and within the framework of the "Paper++" project. The paper in question is covered with a raster of small points that fix certain co-ordinates. "When the player draws a circle, for example in the top right hand corner of the paper, the camera reads the points that have been contacted," explains Beat Signer. The optical reader then transfers the co-ordinates to the database. Each co-ordinate point or group of co-ordinates corresponds to a specific file in the database, which is accessed after transfer and which then generates a new data set. With the example of the circle in the top right-hand corner, for example, it might be that a picture of a squirrel on Monte Generoso is projected on to the wall.Yet if the circle is placed more to the left, music from Tessin might fill the room of the "Generosa Enterprise“. In fact the interaction between the drawings of the players actually enhances the variation of the newly generated data and create new "good prospects".

nside the "Generosa Enterprise": Using their own creative faculties and new technolgy, players can create a unique work of art. large

Bringing Monte Generoso to Platzspitz: Curt Walter Tannhäuser (left) and Beat Signer, the entrepreneurs of the "Generosa Enterprise". large

"Every player turns into an artist," says Curt Walter Tannhäuser. "The route from his vision on the paper to the finished product is very short." The data set encoded by the player's drawing creates a new design with the help of the database. This new product can be saved and printed and taken back.

Asked about the particularity of the "Generosa Enterprise“, its creators both talk about the world of secrets and co-incidences, the world of art as well as the world of scientific insight and new technologies. They add that, at the end of the project, the comprehensive know-how on the Monte Generoso will be put at the disposition of the region's public bodies. "The database is a unique instrument to promote development in the Monte Generoso region."

While a few loose ends remained to be tied in order to perfect the game, they are both confident that everything will run without a hitch by the 22nd April. On this date, the "Generosa Enterprise“ will open its doors until 8th May at Platzspitz in Zurich.