ctv Looking Forward

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3jkoIyJgoc

 

This project is a wall installation of black and white coins that flip to show imagery. I am fascinated by this project because of the hybrid digital/physical components working together to make an experience. Cameras and software control the black and white dots to interpret a viewer’s interaction. Software tells the display which frame should be shown. Ths image is a combination of videos, picture, text, and shapes. One of my favorite parts of this installation is not digital; the sound of each coin flipping in unison is elegant.

Many pieces of art use this type of display, but the scale of this installation is exquisite. I am unsure of the exact number of people who created this piece, but the video says it is a team from an artist collective in conjunction with TNT Network. Custom software was built to control this dot-board. In addition to writing software to determine the image to display, custom software was built to drive each pixel.

One specific type of work the creators were inspired by was airport/train station flip signs. This product is now commercially available to organizations to install. This technology was originally developed by Kenyon Taylor in the early 1960s. This specific piece is created by a team called Breakfast NY.