Processing of Perception

Interactive Exhibits

Sponsored by:
The Battelle Endowment for Technology in Human Affairs and the Greater Columbus Arts Council

PI: Wayne Carlson, Department of Design

Staff:
Matthew Lewis, ACCAD
Carol Gigliotti

Students:
Peter Hriso
Jean Ippolito
Wen Hwa Seun
Pierre St-Jacques
Traci Temple

This project demonstrated the implications of computer graphics technology to the human perception of reality. Faculty and students at ACCAD represent a community of researchers and artists, using technology in a wide variety of applications. The technologies with which they work evoke a variety of different and sometimes competing perceptions of the realities that are being envisioned. The opportunity exists within the Center to discuss and debate these perceptions with colleagues in the academic environment. This project extended this opportunity to other members of the community, in order to shift the question of "What is reality?" to the broader and sometimes more appropriate question of "What representation of reality is this?"

An exhibition was designed that provideed the means with which to stimulate these discussions. It reflected the eclectic nature of the Center itself. Artists and technicians collaborated in presenting their interpretation of an aspect of the exhibition theme in formats consisting of computer generated imagery and animations on video, multimedia installations, computer simulations, and telecommunication systems. It goes beyond the applied demonstrations by incorporating exhibits that include interactions by which the observer can actively experience, seek and express his/her viewpoint on the perceptions that are presented.

The physical exhibit was divided between three locations in the Columbus community: the Wexner Center for Contemporary Arts, the Ohio's Center of Science and Industry, and the Martin Luther King Performing and Cultural Arts Center.

Each of the three sites had a subset of the entire exhibit, and they were electronically linked so that a visitor to one site could experience content of the exhibit which was located at one of the other facilities.