Client: Ohio State University

Overview

Created on-site inside a storage closet, visitors begin by choosing a male or female voice. Participants then sit in a chair in complete darkness and interact with a responsive voice, asking them questions and waiting for their response. As the “Blind Date” continues, the room begins to smell like food, the sounds of a restaurant can be heard, the chair gets warmer, and the participant begins to feel all the real senses of a blind date. Materials used: MaxMSP, Arduino, Speakers, Microphone, Cloth,Wood, Chair, Computer, Diffuser, Heater.

Goals

You can hear their voice, smell the food, and feel your body temperature rise. You can’t see them, but you know they’re there. Blind Date is an interactive instillation that challenges the reality of human emotion and our unquestioned trust in technology. The theme of the artwork was "overclocked" - the way humans interact with technology and the power it has on our lives. The goal of the project was to create an experience so real, that for a moment the user looses themselves in the date. At the end of the experience, there is a slightly chilling realization of how trusting we are of technology and the limits of reality technology can push.

Process

The project was site specific and confined to a small storage closet. Collaboration was necessary to keep this project from becoming a fire hazard. The site provided computers and material to hide all wires from view.

Additional Information

This was a first attempt at creating an immersive installation that could reacted to a participants response. There is room for growth with this project as a larger series of installations. The role technology plays in our lives and the trust we have for technology is a critical issue that can be explored with art.