Information
George Legrady >
»Transitional Spaces«, 1999 - 1999
Co-Workers & Funding:
Partially funded by a Canada Council grant.
Technology
Hardware
1 MAC G4, security video camera hanging from ceiling attached with stand and cables, white wall or screen, amplified sound, and projector (per installation)
Descriptions & Essays
Transitional Spaces consists of three installations: Garden, Light Behaviours and Wheel of Fortune.
A blurred image of a garden begins to oscillate when someone enters into the motion sensing camera's field of vision. The image becomes more focused as people move closer to the security turnstiles. Continued non-moving presence under the camera's view causes the screen to become increasingly covered with visual noise until, after a few minutes the image is completely replaced by noise. With any movement the noise is suddenly eerased and the focus may shift around, triggered by people's locations in different zones in the space. When the turnstiles are crossed, the screen shows a close-up of a flashlight's circular beam, rapidly and randomly moving around.
A group of insect-like moving text characters are assigned to follow individuals walking in front of the tracking camera over the main circular entrance space of the Siemens Headquarters. These characters are programmed to behave like the flocking movement of flying insects. When the computer detects that the tracked person is standing still, the flying characters come together to a point at which time they form a short phrase. This is followed by a text quote projected onto the screen. The quotes come from personals, news phrases and financial stock language that use or refer to literal or metaphorical expressions of transitional space.
The background image is a still frame from a video of a flashlight beam at night. Insect-like moving characters fly around this flashlight beam, attracted by its light but also following people in the large entrance space. The characters go in and out of focus as they decide to either come together if there is a person standing still, or else to disappear if the program calculates that there is no one actually present
The projected image (Wheel of Fortune) covers a large wall in front of elevators and hallway with traffic to the next building. The image consists of "keywords" of personality descriptions. As the camera senses people's movement in the area in front of the elevator, the image is activated to spin so that different phrases come into focus. The computer is programmed to respond to the speed of movement, location and number of individuals in the space, allowing the audience to consciously interact with the camera's sensing device and spin this wheel of information.
(George Legrady)
Literature
Exhibitions & Events