theGOOD was tasked with design and development of the interactive installation using a custom built motion detection platform. Challenges abound with all the environmental factors that go along with an installation of this scope.

Three traditional artists were commissioned by The Portland Institute for Contemporary Art to create their interpretation of snowfall in downtown Portland. The interactive application was built to display three different scenes with randomly-generated snowfall. The three scenes were set to rotate on a timed interval. The application used motion detection to make the falling snowfall react and animate based on the location of an individual’s movement passing by on the sidewalk.

The result was a captivated Portland public that was engaged with a unique interactive experience. The project is also a successful study on the implementation of new technology and a reactive medium into a larger branding campaign.

View video of the installation.

The challenge for theGOOD was to create an interactive installation that used a combination of motion detection and generative art to explore the convergence of man and technology.

theGOOD designed and built a custom application that tracked the motion of people, captured images of said person, and allowed them to “paint” their portrait on to a 16-foot wall using nothing but their limbs.

The result was a highly interactive art installation that amazed participants –  engagement time averaged over 10 minutes per user. People invested themselves in the piece to the point of bringing out their own inner artist. Several times theGOOD team stepped in to ‘coach’ people on how to get the most out of the motion detection while drawing their portrait. The response we received was unexpected. People took personal offense that we were pushing our artistic ideas on their own drawing. At that moment we knew the installation was a success.

Use the online version of the installation.
View a flickr gallery of finished drawings.