(Moholy-Nagy 1928)

In 1970, Jean-Louis Baudry introduced the concept of *dispositif* in cinema theory (Baudry 1970). He analyzed the relationship between the spectator and the cinematographic representation through its technologies, settings, projection conditions, etc. Since then, this concept has spread in cinema theory and offers some interesting insights for those of us who are interested in the artistic potential of holography.

While the French word "*dispositif* " is usually translated in English as "apparatus", in French it has a broader meaning, especially in philosophy and art theory. A *dispositif* is a set of elements, devices, parameters and relations that constitute a scene, a place, a situation or an event. In any case, the *dispositif* is comprised of the apparatus and the display, as applied in given circumstances, but also the image production and presentation conditions, the content and even the viewer himself. A *dispositif* will determine the optical, the geometrical, as well as the cultural characteristics of a representation, a presentation and an observation of images. Whereas the basic holographic display may be as simple as a light source and the hologram itself, which is a high-resolution photographic emulsion, both placed at specific angles to each other, its *dispositif* also comprises the wall, room, ambient light, the specific optical characteristics of the hologram, and also the viewer. Holograms break with our tradition of graphic images made of pigments and marks on surfaces, or from light projected on screens or even pixels. Not only is holography a new media, it also has an approach to image making, a physical and optical foundation, a production process, display parameters and visual effects, which are completely different from any other imaging technology since the beginning of art. Consequently, the holographic *dispositif* presents an altered temporal and spatial coherence that can be manipulated by the artist. Perhaps initially unsettling to the viewer, the artist soon sees the possibility of new visual effects and narrative tools.

The purpose of this article is not to explain the technical characteristics of holography; it is easy to find books and resources on the web for that information. Rather, my intent is to present a few features singular to the holographic *dispositif* that have a decisive impact on its aesthetic and artistic production and reception. My own experiments in synthetic holography (computer-generated holography) were aimed at analyzing these very features. As an art historian and artist, my work is based on a blend of historical research and artistic experimentations, testing observations and ideas from art history as well as my own, then elaborating concepts from this process. Thus, the end result of my holographic work is not simply artistic expression, but rather the developments of concepts and analysis.

The characteristics of holographic images that I explore can be applied to analog optical holography. However, some effects can be difficult to achieve without computer-generated content. The main difference between analog and synthetic holography is the source of the image. The first uses an optical setup to record the light wave's interferences from an object, while the second requires a similar optical setup to record the interference patterns of a set of computer-generated images, each image representing an angle of view on a scene. Consequently, synthetic holograms are composite images that show a partial view of space, but this process offers to the artist easier access to an array of visual effects by means of computer graphics programs.

Although further experimentation and analysis is greatly needed, there are three formal elements of the holographic *dispositif* that one must consider in both the creation and in the critique of art holography: the holographic space, time, and chromaticity.
