|
Pasts and Presents (with Judith Donath and Martin Wattenberg).
Past and Present is a visualization of activity in the cafe, both current and in the past. The visualization is shown on a large projection screen in the cafe. It is an abstract, animated image in which the movements of the elements are shaped by the actions of the people in the cafe. The topology underlying the animation is the space of the cafe, and as people move through it, occupy a space for a long time, order drinks, etc. they reshape that topology and thus the patterns of the animation. It is an abstract visualization in much the same way that ripples on a pond are a visualization of activity on and near the surface of the water.
|
This project allows people in the cafe to see both present and past activity in the space. Because the visualization is an abstract animation, it is not be immediately obvious that it is in fact a sort of map of the cafe. And, if one never figures it out, it is designed to still be appreciated as a beautiful design. But because it reacts immediately to activity in the cafe, most observers soon realize that action in the physical space affects the image. When someone walks across the space, the animated swirls and shapes are also perturbed on the screen. Observers also figure out that by moving around they can find themselves on the screen - not as an object, but as a topographic force affecting the moving objects.
|
|
