An art piece. Initially conceived with two digital images — ie two frames and next to each other but now I think distance to keep them distinct makes more senses, possibly on two separate walls.

No written instructions provided to the viewers/users. But the space itself and other possible visual cues/clues may be needed.

I want people to feel ownership, but also the fact that they make the changes by interacting with themselves [ like a mirror] and thus there is less disconnect than when changing a game avatar [but still the same idea].

‘god’ mode in that, the art is left in whatever state you leave it in for the next viewer/user to see — your changes stay in place and there no such thing as a default setup that it goes back to. It is like a hand-off in that you make your contribution and then the next viewer/user gets that to start with and if no one is there, it will remain as the last iteration until someone shows up.

It will also keep track of these ‘finalized’ versions as a person stops interacting and leaves.

These captured ‘final’ versions are put together automatically as a slideshow which is saved as the second, separate, supplemental piece. Or instead of being added to as slideshow, each avatar is added to a group shot that gets more crowded. If a set of customizations/choices are the same as another existing avatar, that avatar just grows slightly in size rather than having duplicates. Again, could be near the first, or in a very different location/space.

Viewer/user standing within X area. As they move, they notice they are having an effect of some sort. As you move your hands across your eyes, the ‘EYES’ change and cycle through choices.

Technical

Could conceivably be done with the kinect or kinect-like sensor. I conceive of a large vertical screen [50 inches], but I need to consider where the kinect would go and if the ‘area’ would be marked off to indicate the interaction area. This is challenging because I want to make it seem like any other piece of art until people start connecting the movement with the changes but I want only one person to work with it at a time.

The customization features could include covering/uncovering your eyes for eye choices, making an expression for the mouth changes, and swiping across or up/down for outfit changes. Could consider more abstract movements for for other customizations.

I should consider how the screen and gesture recognition element can be included in a cohesive ‘piece’ that includes the boundaries — like one of those sacred huts or caves that one viewer/user would enter at a time. This could also represent the hidden, personal space of creation versus the open, public space of the secondary piece.