Pattern Seeker
Year
2021
Materials
Wood, acrylic, wire, paper
Installation
The artwork is installed on a medium sized plinth. The scroll should be approximately at hip height so that an average participant can view the acrylic window box over the blue frame while moving the scroll with their hands.
Questions
What programs collect your data at work? Can you choose to use these programs?
Who has access to this data? How does this make you feel?
Can data be "good" and/or "bad"?
Can you change what your data says about you? If so, how? If not, why not?
Description
A colourful scroll is mounted beneath a two dimensional orb made from a wooden frame and three sheets of convex acrylic. The participant turns the scroll to create dazzling patterns that appear when viewed through the orb. The participant can vary the speed to observe how different shapes seem to appear and disappear in correlation with their scrolling. The artwork is designed to be a fun and interactive experience that captivates the participant through colour and movement. Yet, the participant may eventually notice that the scroll contains words that can be deciphered as they pass under the orb. The words read "somebody is watching you", "we have your data" and "you are being recorded". What was initially a fun and harmless interaction instantly takes on a more sinister feeling. The orb becomes an eye, watching over your scrolling. The colourful lines are a metaphor for the lines of code you leave behind.
