#GUArtHack: Rapid Prototyping of Digital Interactive Art for Public Spaces

The installation site was a dimly lit walkway set just below a busy pedestrianised street.

The installation site was a dimly lit walkway set just below a busy pedestrianised street.

In November, Julie Williamson (University of Glasgow) and Audrey O’Brien (Visual Artist) ran a workshop two-day workshop to explore ideas and concepts for a digital art installation for public spaces.  The goal was to create and design with concepts such as playfulness, performative interactions, surveillance, touch, and lighting.  The only requirement placed on workshop participants was to create a working prototype together during the two-day event.  At the end of the workshop, the participants exhibited the final prototype in a pop-up exhibition on the University of Glasgow campus.

The participants developed the concept and prototyped the installation over the two-day workshop.

The participants developed the concept and prototyped the installation over the two-day workshop.

Over two days, this micro-residency brought together artists, designers and computing scientists from a wide variety of backgrounds.  The workshop began with an exploration of the installation site.   The installation was staged in a dark space beneath one of the University building, positioned below a busy pedestrianised walkway.  The final product was composed of six touch sensitive pendulums arranged around a spherical display.  Touching the pendulums produced music, with each pendulum creating different visualisations on the sphere. The video below showcases the final installation from the pop-up exhibit.

The installation involved a spherical display surrounded by touch sensitive pendulums.  Touching the pendulums made music and flowing graphics from the sphere.

The installation involved a spherical display surrounded by touch sensitive pendulums. Touching the pendulums made music and flowing graphics from the sphere.

SIPS Workshop #1 from daniel sunden on Vimeo.