Exchange, consists of an interactive entity whose consciousness appears to reside in an architectural space. My intention is that this disembodied entity will suggest a living being—a mechanical persona that reads as organic. Its use of language to initiate and maintain conversations and its ability to manifest related visual and spoken memories implies consciousness.

The Linux based software has simple voice recognition and face recognition capabilities, and a database system for organizing the still image and audio content. When a viewer is sensed, a conversation is initiated. Accessing pre-recorded conversational components in the database, it first speaks to a viewer and then invites that viewer to participate in a conversation. At all times and in all situations, the ‘entity’ finds some way to talk about the fact that the viewer is embodied and it isn’t. The entity struggles with where it fits in the interface between flesh and circuitry and how it fits into a notion of ‘life’ in general. It also appears to be self reflective and to possess the ability to learn from experience.

I am developing a projector device to direct the visual material from a moving video projector to points around the room as commanded by the program. This is coordinated with an audio system that moves the sound to synchronize with the placement of the moving video. My intention is to create a mental space that moves within an architectural space to give the impression that the viewer has walked inside a mind.

A taste of the experience in question: