In the land of Bohemia, with its capital city of Prague, the perception of time and space has always worked differently than in the rest of Europe. This phenome non has been manifested in the most various realms of Bohemian existence. People from very different cir cles and disciplines have attained astonishing achievements in science and also in culture. In the strange atmosphere of this land, there have been alchemists, astronomers, musicians, scientists, artists, architects, engineers and others, who have attempt ed again and again to create "the impossible." Das Zimmermit Aussicht ("Room with a View") is a metaphor, and it represents the diversity of the Bohemian "alchemist's kitchen." In a cathedral with a diameter of 12 meters, visitors are able to decide for themselves with the help of the "navigator" how they want to arrange "their view." The navigator is an "interface" installed in the middle of the "room with a view." It consists of a revolving column with an integrated flat screen. This screen displays the picture segment that is captured by a video camera installed on the column. This means that each time the navigator is turned, a different section of the filmed canvas is displayed.
In addition, touch-sensitive icons repeatedly appear on the pic ture. By touching these icons, the visitor can trigger different visual and acoustic events within the sepa rate worlds. As the visitor "navigates" through the various "worlds", he is not merely a passive observer of the show, but an active co-designer of the worlds that he experiences in the "room with a view."The navigator becomes a catalyst that can set human powers of creativity in motion. In the worlds confronting the visitor/cultural pat-terns"from the land of Bohemia repeatedly surface. The project Das Zimmer mit Aussicht was developed as a research prototype at the ZKM in Karlsruhe. It was devel oped for the so-ca I led
Autostadt in Wolfsburg. The program used here is called MTK (Mapping Toolkit) and it has a unique ability to generate the most diverse dynamic graphic processes in real time.

Artistic concept, visual design: Michael Bielicky, Bernd Untermann
Graphics, artistic advisor: Francis Wittenberger, Jeffrey Shaw
Graphics Software: Bernd Untermann
Audio Software, sound design: Torsten Beischner
Overall technical concept and production: ZKM/Karlsruhe, Institut für Bildmedien
User interface conception and production: Jeffrey Shaw, ZKM Karlsruhe, Nelissen Dekorbouw, Amsterdam

Michael Bielicky (CZ/D) was born in Graz and emigrated to Germany. He photographed for Monochrome-Magazin and studied with Nam June Paik in Düsseldorf. He is currently developing a 360° virtual environment at ZKM in Karlsruhe. Lives in Düsseldorf and in Prague.

Bernd Lintermann (D) studied computer science in Karlsruhe and has been guest artist and scientist at the ZKM Institute for Image Media since 1996. Since 1996 ionteractive installations with Jeffrey Shaw, Agnes Hegedues, Torsten Belschner and others.