Eye-tracking drawing a prehistoric ceiling drawing at the Hypogeum, 2021
Documentation while eye-tracking drawing the ceiling at the Hypogeum of Ħal Saflieni, Raħal Ġdid, July 2021
I obtained permission from Heritage Malta to visit the Hypogeum of Ħal Saflieni and draw the prehistoric painted ceiling with the eye-tracker. The Hypogeum is situated at the outskirts of the village of Raħal Ġdid, and consists in an underground prehistoric temple, made up of three levels of subterranean chambers, galleries and pits. It had been carved out of the globigerina limestone by hand during the Neolithic era, and was discovered in 1902 during some housing development works. The upper level is the oldest, dating to roughly 4,000 B.C. The prehistoric monument seems to have been conceived as an underground cemetery, as the remains of about 7,000 individuals had been excavated.
The Oracle Room with its painted ceiling as it appeared in 1910
Retrieved from: Devereux 2009
My interest in the Hypogeum was very specific. The main chamber is what archaeologists coined as the Oracle Room, specifically because of its echoing acoustic qualities. As described by archaeologist Paul Devereux, the chamber’s ceiling has the rendition of:
[An] imagery [that] consists of a mass of small spiral forms near the entrance to the chamber that merges further in into long, wavy thick lines sprouting much larger, more open spirallic lines. Smaller, disconnected spirals develop from the mass of spirals at the entrance and run along one edge, getting larger as they get further into the chamber.
(2009)
My intentions revolved around the attempt to draw the spirallic painted lines of this ceiling with the eye-tracking device. Similarly to the drawing project concerning the ex-voto ship graffiti, I intended to re-trace the prehistorically painted lines with my eyes, bridging the ancient imagery with the capacity for contemporary drawing brought forward by the eye-tracking device. Moreover, I was also interested in the various archaeological interpretations that have been given to the painted ceiling, most notably that it might be one of the very first human doodles (Trump 2000, p.70). It has also been read as a possible drawing notation of the echoing sounds of the Oracle Room (Devereux 2009). The painting is popularly known as Is-Siġra tal-Ħajja, meaning The Tree of Life, as it has been assimilated to the pattern of a geometric tree. The Hypogeum is a site protected by UNESCO and entry is extremely restricted due to its fragile nature. I was given permission to visit the site twice, for a maximum of 35 minutes each.
Drawing-with the eye-tracker at the Hypogeum was a literal shot in the dark. Lighting is dim and set to the bare minimum in order to protect the prehistoric surroundings. The atmosphere is damp, and water droplets form and fall-off the entire ceiling. However, drawing-with the eye-tracker at such a site was an extremely privileged and meaningful experience. The eye-tracking drawings stemming from this drawing exercise, concluded the solo show at Valletta Contemporary. Within the itinerary of the exhibition, after experiencing the socio-politically induced narratives stemming from an array of contexts, the viewer was brought back to a discourse pertaining to the act of drawing and doodling. I was also interested in the parallel that could be traced between the historically painted ceiling and the previous ceiling drawing exercise.
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References:
Devereux, P., 2009. A Ceiling Painting in the Hal-Saflieni Hypogeum as Acoustically-Related Imagery: A Preliminary Note. Time and Mind, 2(2), pp.225-231. DOI:10.2752/175169709X423709.
Trump, D.H., 2000. Malta: An Archaeological Guide. Valletta: Progress Press.
Eye-tracking drawing the ceiling of the Oracle Room, August 2021
Digital drawing with eye-tracking
Pupil Core monocular eye-tracker, Pupil Player, Rhino 3D, Grasshopper
Eye-tracking drawing at the Oracle Room, Hypogeum (frontal view), August 2021
Digital video loop with eye-tracking
Pupil Core monocular eye-tracker, Pupil Player, Rhino 3D, Grasshopper
Eye-tracking drawing at the Oracle Room, Hypogeum (top view), August 2021
Digital video loop with eye-tracking
Pupil Core monocular eye-tracker, Pupil Player, Rhino 3D, Grasshopper
Eye-tracking drawing at the Oracle Room, Hypogeum (side view), August 2021
Digital video loop with eye-tracking
Pupil Core monocular eye-tracker, Pupil Player, Rhino 3D, Grasshopper