2005
Our submission to the conceptual public art contest hosted by artist Stuart Keeler. M27's submission won 2nd place.

Our concept for the Building of Art project opens the dialogue between building and city, people and building, people and city, and the give and take of energy between these entities as it influences creative processes. The main focus of this work will be to transform the intake of data (in this case, elements representing the energy of the surrounding city) and outputting a visual response.

The overall energy of a city is a major catalyst to creativity. This is felt by the activity that is a constant surround. We look to provide the building with a reaction similar to the artist responding to stimuli and creating symbolic visual communication.

Data detectors placed at various points around the building will take in information much like the human senses. Information gathered would include such things as sounds, light/dark, pollution levels, temperature, humidity, air pressure, internal building sounds etc. Each of these factors would be programmed to correlate to a color or shape that will be illuminated on LCD windows on the building. As the data changes the colors and shapes will shift and morph to represent its surrounding, dynamic environment.

A focal sculpture made with the same LCD glass will stand in the center of the courtyard while LCD poles ranging from 1' to 3' in diameter and a variety of heights scattered throughout the rest of the space. The four walls of the main sculpture will reflect the information sampled from the north, south, east and west sides of the building. Standing in the middle of these four walls a person interacting with this piece will be able to see what the building senses all around. In addition to the LCDs, a projection of the data (the numbers and calculations that represent all of the surrounding activity) will project onto the ground within the middle of the four walls. This heart of the piece will contrast with the changing colors of the LCD glass and will represent the marriage of the left and right sides of the brain as well as the dichotomy of the city as a structure of buildings and the organic life of its inhabitants.

Connecting all of these elements will be colored cord bundles that are encased in glass or clear cement flush with the ground or the building walls. These lines of color will not only carry the data but also serve as a visual nervous system for the building reaching out to the surrounding city.