Human-Scale Systems in Responsive Environments

Abstract

Most technologies are human-centered, while also operating at a particular scale, from the microscopic (or even nanoscale) to the macroscopic (global scale). Artistic endeavors tend to converge on the human scale – they affect individuals and are valued for their peculiarities, rather than their generalizability for a mass market. Artists’ work often involves subverting the original applications of technology (from consumer electronics to medical or military technologies), in order to extend its use beyond the merely functional, into the realm of the social and the aesthetic.

Unlike strict rule-based gaming environments, our environments facilitate conversational interaction models that can assume the shape of freeform playspaces. These environments are composed of media, materials, and architectures that are incorporated into public spaces, creating a tension between the real and imaginary, and between technological and biological systems.