Merge

Merge is the first generation of custom video-memory works, using software that is able to track and sense human motion. This program “sees” motion through a camera, and is able to return a large amount of data about what it perceives: location, direction, duration, number of people, velocity, etc. The way Merge interprets and processes this information dictates the direction of the piece. Merge challenges notions of interactivity; instead of using a one to one feedback loop (step in front of a motion sensor, as a result a light turns on) a system develops where the participant realizes that their interactivity is having an effect on the piece, but cannot pinpoint exactly how. The computer takes a still screen image every 60 seconds, which it then stores. The stills can then be printed, acting as physical records of the meshing of time, person, and place.