Cloud Consciousness

2015

CLOUD CONSCIOUSNESS
2015
Interactive Public Art Sculpture
Acrylic, Mixed Media, New Media, Video

“Cloud Consciousness” is a 20’x18’x18’ interactive sculpture of a faceted translucent acrylic human head that transforms with participant input. Using a smartphone or device, participants are prompted to take a picture of their self or control imagery and sound. The image is then translated onto the sculpture using projection mapping, illuminating the crystalline cast glass aesthetic.

There is no individual identity to the sculpture; its nondescript expression rests in peaceful contemplation lit from within as if in a dream state. The aesthetic of the projected imagery is always in flux, transitioning between participant face forms, patterns, objects or video art running continuously day and night.

The multitude of changing faces represent the many people perpetually in motion crossing the installation site of Embarcadero x Market in San Francisco, California; historically one of the busiest intersections in the world. There is an option to interact with this piece on site or remotely and other artists may apply to showcase their programs or artwork on the head, becoming a platform for continual collaboration. Inspired by interconnectivity models, “Cloud Consciousness” reflects our techno-centric culture, social media and selfie culture in one memorable, interactive experience while integrating digital interactivity and physical form in a visually stunning way.

This large-scale interactive public art sculpture was created for Autodesk’s Edge Condition at Pier 9: The Future of Making Things. This rendering shows the scale and placement of the public art on site, the transition from day to night and what the sculpture could look like with interactive imagery projected in it. This rendering used Google’s House of Card’s interactive data viewer and open source code by Aaron Koblin to depict what “selifes” could look like on the sculpture when uploaded in 3D or what work by another artist could look like on the sculpture.