May 29, 2005
I am a (kaleido)scope
Iamascope
Exploring embodiment between people and machines Sidney Fels Iamascope uses a video camera as the eye of a kaleidoscope that projects the observer into the kaleidoscopic image where they become a performer within the work.
Once inside the Iamascope, participants can gesture, dance, sing and speak to control and choreograph the imagery and music in real-time. Both the audience and the performer experience a rich aesthetic interactive experience."
Technical description: The Iamascope currently uses a firewire camera attached to an Apple G5 Computer running the Iamascope code. The code is written in a combination of C and Tcl/Tk using OpenGL. As well, the music synthesizer used here is based on SimpleSynth and the video capture code for the Mac is based on open source code called SeeSaw. The video data is placed in texture memory where it is mapped using mirror reflections onto the geometry.
About Sidney Fels: "I have been exploring intimacy and embodiment between people and people, and people and machines for the last 10 years. This work uses a special type of mirror (a kaleidoscope) to explore the rich interaction aesthetics inherent in self reflective interactive works. As one of the original interactive artworks I created, it formed the basis for understanding interaction aesthetics deriving from response, control, self-reflection and belonging."
Posted by michelle at May 29, 2005 10:30 PM
