Art Imitates Life

A 2012 art installation by RANDOM INTERNATIONAL takes rows of LED lights and turns them into an ethereal experience. "Future Self" is an art installation composed of rows of LED lights attached to brass rods. A 3D camera picks up and tracks the movements of a person standing in front of it, that movement is then replicated in a more simple 3D LED form. The piece, made to explore the relationship between movement and a humans sense of identity, is presented through a specially choreographed 10 minute contemporary dance. Choreographed by Wayne McGregor and scored by Max Richter, the performance displays a delicate balance between art and technology, not letting any one aspect be the focus. While RANDOM INTERNATIONAL often studies the relationship between man and machine in many of their other works "Future Self" studies an added relationship between ones own self. I believe this idea creates a permanent place for machines in a human life, as it is the factor used to discover one's self. While the physical piece and presentation itself is truly beautiful and revealing, I do wonder how much time and effort was put into the exhibit. In order to wire and code the LEDs, set up the 3D cameras to pick up the basic yet recognizable movement and test the 11 ft structure, i would assume it took anywhere from 4-5 months with a small team, not to mention the time it took to conceive and present the idea. Overall the presentation remains to be a well conceived and executed study into a complex relationship.

https://www.random-international.com/future-self-2012