Love the intelligence and personality of this installation from rANDOM International called 'Audience'. Makes me think about the reflection of ourselves that we do or do not see in those around us... Or the emotion we draw and dispense from the simplest of human gestures, a look.
'Audience’ consists of a large crowd of head-size mirror objects. Each object moves its head in a particular way to give it different characteristics of human behaviour. Some chat amongst themselves, some shy away and others confidently move to grab your attention.
When members of the audience enter the perimeter of the installation, 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 suddenly synchronised 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.
In general the installation aimed to reverse the roles of the viewer and the viewed. Will other members of the audience experience the sensation of being ignored or excluded when they are not the centre of attention? Would the installation create a feeling of un-ease and unsettlement?
The intention was to start taking interaction with an installation further away from the screen or media wall and introduce it into a more physical, three-dimensional space, and to begin to investigate if machines can evoke diverse emotional reactions with the simplest of means.