Peppers Ghost and Mennowski. Project Space @ Rue Josaphat 76, Brussels
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John Henry Pepper (1821-1900) was a british inventor and scientist who is primarily remembered for developing the projection technique known as Pepper’s Ghost. This illusion was widely used for entertainment and publicity purposes in his time.
The technique involves a stage specifically arranged in two rooms, one into which audience members can see, and a second one that is hidden to the side. A plate of glass is placed in the main room at an angle and reflects the hidden room towards the audience. Care must be taken to make the glass as invisible as possible and ensuring that light does not reflect off it. The plate catches a reflection from a brightly lit actor in an area hidden from the audience. Not noticing the glass screen, the audience mistakenly perceive this reflection as a ghostly figure located among the actors on the main stage. The lighting of the actor in the hidden area can be gradually brightened or dimmed to make the ghost image fade in and out of visibility. When the lights are bright in the main room and dark in the hidden room, the reflected image cannot be seen.
On 23th of September 2021 we opened Pepper’s Ghost & Mennowski in Rue Josaphat 76 in Schaerbeek. The project-space was founded by Siemen Van Gaubergen and Menno Vandevelde. Showcasing work by (inter)national artists, writers and children who live in Brussels.