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HI, I'M UNDER CONSTRUCTION, PLEASE EXCUSE THE ROUGH EXTERIOR—I PROMISE MY CONTENT IS (MOSTLY) GOOD <3

ITP Spring '22 → Future Mapper → Week 1

I had to downgrade the quality of the video but the outline of the installation still comes through: each of the five second floor windows at BAM have circular, clear panels with LEDs playing different patterns.

BAM's window display

Why did you choose the installation?

I was originally intending to go to Arcadia Earth this past Saturday but decided to reschedule my ticket (they wouldn't let me cancel 😢) because of the snow storm. And also because of the snow storm, I decided to choose an installation closer to my apartment for this week.

I happened to come across Brooklyn Academy of Music's window display while walking to the grocery store.

What and how it has been made and how to incorporate it into your work.

The five window displays seem to be made with hundreds of LEDs each, each playing a different pattern. The LEDs are arranged in a circular spoke pattern going from the center out, and if I were to guess, the controls would be in the center black circle since I don't see too many wires hanging from the displays.

I was looking from across the street so couldn't tell how they were connected to their power sources.

How are visitors flow? How is it installed?

Because it was a window display, there weren't any visitor flow. And because it was a Sunday night after a snow storm, there weren't that many people on the street for me to observe, either. For the five minutes or so that I stood in front of it, I didn't observe anybody looking up at the display, sadly.

I couldn't get close enough to observe how it's installed in detail, and I'd be curious to see it.

Where is equipment visible or hidden?

Could not see.

What is the material?

LEDs and what looks like supporting clear panel and metal? spokes.

What is the purpose of the installation?

Not at once clear from just passing it on the street.

What kind of technology is used? And in the end, Is it working?

My guess is that the LEDs are being controlled via (many?) microcontrollers. It is working, though I did observe interesting glitches in several of them where the pattern would stutter for a split second before resuming.