Bettina-LookingOutwards-06-SectionC

Generative poster wall display, an installation created by Dutch design company Lust Design.

This installation generates hundreds of unique posters from various internet sources, and new posters are generated when a new visitor enters/interacts with the space. In this way, the project is random not necessarily because the code itself calls random variables (i.e. when we set a value to random()) but because the conditions under which items are generated on random: one cannot predict when and how people will interact with the exhibit or what content will be available online at that time. Surely, there are still set constraints, but the dependence on audience interaction makes this piece feel as if viewers take part in creating the art. I admire how the system needs to have a level of ambiguity to adapt to visitor interactions– that concept is reminiscent of how designers are taught to be comfortable with ambiguity as well. According to the studio’s site, the piece was implemented using a series of kinects. I’d be interested in learning to code with hardware, such as arduino or raspberry pi. My impression is that using such components allows one to create more spatial and interactive pieces instead of experiences on a laptop screen.