Sun.dial (2005) by Max Kazemzadeh

The sun.dial is an internet-based installation project that fosters a sense of shared global space and time. The principle system consists of twelve LCD displays suspended from an overhead apparatus in an outward-facing ring. This circular display is the hub of a world-wide input system. Each screen displays the information from one of twelve webcams located at intervals around the world. Each camera faces upward, capturing only the sky in each location. This creates a light gradient ring that displays the current state of the skys light at points around the globe. When it is dawn in one screen, it is noon a few steps over, and nightfall a few steps down from that. A connection is created between the hosting site, where sun.dial is located, and the locations capturing the light of the sun. The piece is in a way a digital incarnation of the astrolabes and orreries that were the beginnings of technologys global perspective. The webcams are fitted with a custom fabricated housing allowing them to be distributed and easily installed at their capture locations. These locations have been selected based on an approximately even distribution, comparable latitudes, and supported Internet access. From each camera, a webcam software will capture images at an established rate and post them to a server from which each system accesses its image feed. Each of the twelve computers in the sundial installation is also involved in gleaning data from the internet that is related to the source location of its webcam. This data, such as atmospheric and demographic information, is captured with Macromedia Director and interfaces with physical devices through microcontrollers. These devices will extend the impact of the sun as a generative source into the physical space of the installation making it animated and responsive. In the prototype pictured, each plant unit responds to incremental changes in temperature value as captured and translated by the software. Each screen will overlook a corresponding landscape array in the path around the sun.dial. All information and images that make up the sun.dial installation will be available through the projects main website. Direct feed from the webcams and a view of the installation as a whole will be accessible through the primary interactive interface. A global dialog via chat software will be audible through voice synth output both within the installation environment and online. This project is being undertaken collaboratively by Max Kazemzadeh, MFA in Design and Technology from Parsons School of Design, and Andy Holtin, MFA in Sculpture and Extended Media from Virginia Commonwealth University. Both are assistant professors in the School of Visual Arts at the University of North Texas and bring extensive combined experience in hardware and software to this project. The fabrication of the central physical system has been largely completed with grant funding from the University of North Texas. Development items that will be undertaken and which would be supported by the Rhizome commission are: the complete fabrication and distribution of the webcams; the upgrade of hardware in the display system; and the development of the primary website. Completion of the project can be anticipated by September 2006.

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• sundial