The opportunity
The University of Edinburgh’s School of Informatics opened a new public art gallery called Inspace which explores the cultural significance of informatics – the study of how natural and artificial systems store, process and communicate information.
This brand new gallery was set up as a space to showcase exceptional, informative and inspiring work and engage, educate and entertain the wider public.
The impact
Edinburgh-based electronic display company, Pufferfish Ltd offered in-kind support which included a discount for the purchase and installation of a PufferSphere – a fully immersive, portable environment in which small groups can view, explore and interact with 3D data and virtual reality models. In addition, the company offered a discount of £10,400 on the cost of specialist consultancy and technical support for the PufferSphere throughout its use during the Inspace 2009/10 arts programme, in particular the exhibitions ‘Are We Human?’ between December 2009 and January 2010, and the Alt-w Festival taking place in August 2010.
In return Pufferfish will be given access to research obtained by the School of Informatics into the ways in which people interact with and behave around the sphere, contributing to its product development. The company will also be given marketing and branding opportunities on the Inspace website and on materials associated with the December 2009 and June 2010 exhibitions.
A New Arts Sponsorship Grant of £13,000 will contribute to the delivery costs of Inspace’s 2009/10 exhibition programme. In return for the grant Inspace is able to offer Pufferfish full credits and branding in marketing and promotional materials produced in relation to both the ‘Are Friends Electric’ and ‘Tell Me Now How Do I Feel’ exhibitions. These benefits will further raise the company’s profile with gallery visitors, Inspace’s 2009/10 research partners (including NASA and the Royal Academy of Engineering), and audiences of Inspace’s project partners, the Edinburgh International Science Festival and the Edinburgh International Film Festival.
Image: Thea Dymke for Inspace showing Scott Pagano's "The Antikythera Mechanism" running on Pufferfish's sphere