the project
analyses the movement behaviour of people in public spaces. Based on video recordings models are calculated that can be used as the foundation for city planning strategies. The aim is an adaptive, interactive architecture which evolves according to its usage.
In expectation of flexible materials which would make changeable buildings possible, basic principles should be developed for an adaptive planning of settlements and buildings. Concepts should be formulated on the basis of which the design of the environment can be put in the hands of those who spend time there.
current installations
a camera is installed over public squares or over an interior space. The video image is directed to a tracking computer, which filters out the moving objects that distinguish themselves from the background. This tracking software tries to differentiate between the people moving in the public space and to describe their interactions with each other. This information is then directed onwards to a graphic workstation. Here the information is saved and images are calculated from it which try to represent both the interdependence of the movements of the various people as well as the changing usage of the space in time. Through the integration of the original video image in the virtual graphic the passers-by have the opportunity to play with the video image and produce sounds and geometries as a result of their behaviour.
contributors
Ursula Damm (artistic conception)
Michael Hoch(tracking software)
Thomas Kulessa (tracking software)
Peter Serocka (data minig, open GL, software conception)
Matthias Weber (tracking software, data mining)
exhibitions
1996
Open Space, Milan/Italy
Ludwig Forum für Internationale Kunst Aachen
1998
Multimediaforum NRW
"Brückengang", Cologne
Mülheimer Medienmeile, Mülheim/Ruhr
1999
ars electronica "life science"
City of Düsseldorf Visual Arts Prize
2000
Modell/Modell, RWTH + Neuer Aachener Kunstverein, Aachen
2001
Stuttgarter Filmwinter, Filmhaus Stuttgart, Milla & Partner Prize for media in space
cynetArt Dresden (Honorary mention for Interactive Art)
2002
Cibervision 02, Madrid
ISEA, Nagoya, Japan
data mining
The movement behaviour of people in a space is recorded. Interactions between people in spontaneous encounters become visible. The installation analyses events generated by concentrations of people according to their geometric relationships (territories, boundary behaviour) and makes them visually and acoustically perceivable.
Imaginary landscapes are calculated from the traces of people in the preceding hours, which depict the frequency of visits to a place, the main lines of travel and the system of paths. These virtual landscapes will become (in future installations) an image of possible architecture and will be a means of re-investigating city structures and the city planning based on human territorial behaviour.
For the analysis of travel tracings from people in space we used a tracking software to produce data collections of approximately 30 minutes. These became the object of various investigations which are described in detail in the pdf documentation.
Download pdf-Dokumentation (21 pages in german,1.8 MB)
geometry
interactions space_planning geometry
Every description of space as a relationship of things to each other leads inevitably to a geometry, that is to a dimensioned representation of space or planes. Especially in a computer, geometry stands for construction or a constructive describing which stands in opposition to the pure collection of data (amorphous, discrete entities). In the following I present ideas which have arisen in connection with constructed spaces. Within the project the two contrasting processes are overlaid and moved together.
architectur
pattern_drawings aerial_photographs installations
The origin of the project was an occupation with geometric patterns lasting over many years. They arose as descriptions of territories and transit areas as seen in aerial photographs of cities. The patterns can be understood as an attempt to recognise mathematical relationships between areas of settlement and movement lanes and institute these as tools for spatial planning.