Aim
To construct an installation that creates a drawing as documentation of viewer visitation/interaction. This works will be an expansion of the first work in this series, the experimental ACTUALITY, 2017 – an insitu live projection loop. The construction should be inviting and compelling and the documenting should be done out of site of the viewer who is interacting (the one who is being documented) to question our willingness to provide personal information to others, especially unknown entities via our internet interactions.

Artist Statement
The industry of personal profiling that collects and distributes our preferences, habits and associations form the basis of this three-part installation. ACTUALITY No.2 is a playfully interactive audio-visual feedback contraption that converts the presence and movement of viewers into sound vibrations. These sounds are converted into charcoal drawings, File, Ready or Not and become a documented recording of visitation throughout the exhibition. The third part of the installation, Charta Sacculi, instructs visitors to pop a paper bag to either “opt-out” or to “exclaim approval” of the work. Instructions are provided, together with a disclaimer in fine print stating opting-out is not really an option, thus suggesting it is merely a feel-good effort in data protection. Our willingness to freely provide personal information in the digital age is reflected in these works.

Materials
CCTV cameras, wide-screen TV, audio mixer, audio amplifiers, audio speakers, pressure sensors, associated wiring & passive control circuits, plastic, timber and metal hardware, charcoal on paper, ink on paper, waste paper basket, ambiguity, gullibility and ingenuity.

Dimensions
variable, but typically 3500Wx3500Dx2500Hmm

Method
A free-standing cavity wall of approx 2400Wx2400Hx500Dmm is the central build for the work.
The cavity is used to “hide” all the electrical control gear and to mount the 2 CCTV cameras.
Mount the TV on a wall that faces the cameras – the TV must be positioned so that the cameras aim towards the middle of the screen.
Mount the speakers above the record turn-table – I have used a metal frame, other ideas welcomed – for other wotks I have used a wooden tripod.
Connect the microphone, under carpet sensors, cameras and speakers, etc as per diagram below.
During the exhibition remove/replace the “documentation” and hang to display the collected “data”.

An essential part of the method for this work is that it is an analogue signal processor – there is no programming/software/code used to create the work.

My Findings
The build was as planned, as was the overall effect.
Interaction was better than expected with visitors finding different ways to interact.
Maintenance is an issue. The charcoal is messy and looking after the charcoal on paper is not straight forward.
Future iterations can use just audio-video without the documentation creation.<>BR> Latest idea is to swap the paper-based documentation with a small screen TV that duplicates the main screen but rotates (needs a slip ring power connector and a wireless HDMi kit) with a top mounted RPi camera that captures the screen’s images and sends them via email to my website – this version needs to reconsider the video to audio element.