Art & Audience: rAndom International and Chris O'Shea

The installation is a collaboration work of rAndom International and Chris O'Shea. The concept, design and hardware are by rAndom International, and the software, which was developed in C++ using openFrameworks and OpenCV is by Chris O'Shea.

"When members of the audience occupy the space, the mirrors inquisitively follow someone that they find interesting. Having chosen their subject, they all synchronise and turn their heads towards them. Suddenly that person can see their reflection in all of the mirrors. They will watch this person until they become disinterested, then either seek out another subject or return to their private chatter. The collective behaviour of the objects is beyond the control of the viewer, as it is left entirely to their discretion to let go of their subject.

The installation aims to reverse the roles of the viewer and the viewed during this in-voluntary interaction. It seeks to establish a different kind of relationship between viewer and technology. Will other members of the audience experience the sensation of being ignored or excluded when they are not the centre of attention? Will the installation create a feeling of un-ease and unsettlement? The work investigates if machines can evoke diverse emotional reactions with the simplest of means."

Audience, Random International, 2008

It is like a painting or sculpture automatically flipping and turning its back on me, just because it doesn't like me, or I am not interesting enough as an audience. That's what this installation is doing or inteded to do - choosing its audience, rather than audience having the liberty to engage with the artwork of their choice. It has a modern appeal, both in terms of visual aesthetic and properties. Apart from being interactive and engaging for both adults and children, it traces me back to my experiences with technology. It is about losing control and power over your own creation that you once naively thought would move in your rhythm. It makes me think of having to wait for a page to upload, and losing my patience if it takes more than few seconds, and losing a document that is yet to be saved. It doesn't understand our emotions, yet we have succumbed to it; we adjust ourselves to the way system functions, the system that was once created by one of us.

Bibliography:

http://www.chrisoshea.org/audience