Rafael Lozano-Hemmer.comRafael Lozano-Hemmer explains: ‘In Recorders, artworks hear, see and feel the public, they exhibit awareness and record and replay memories entirely obtained during the show. Using advanced surveillance and biometric technologies, the pieces either depend on participation to exist or predatorily gather information on the public as they go through the exhibition. In all cases the artwork compiles a database of behaviours that then becomes the artwork itself. I am always delighted when a visitor takes over an artwork and personalises it, like they might take over a stage or a public square.’
From the Sydney Museum of Contemporary Art site:
As a 'crowdsourced' show the content is entirely collected from visitors, using technologies such as heart rate sensors, motion detectors, fingerprint scanners, microphones and face recognition software. Your participation brings these critical and poetic digital artworks to life.
UPDATE:
How to push people's buttons (Sydney Morning Herald)
John McDonald reviews the Rafael Lozano-Hemmer exhibition.
It's no revelation that technology can never free itself from Frankenstein's curse. All the devices we use for our own security are also obliterating our privacy. The BlackBerry used by every second businessman proved just as congenial for the rioters who set London on fire last year.
