ISPARKLEBLACKMOLD ’08

SEE VIDEO DOCUMENTATION HERE:
https://vimeo.com/33815138

isparkleblackmold (2008) is an interactive computer vision based installation that brings together the concept of the quick ID photo booth, that applies simple face recognition, with superstition. Users are invited to enter into the open booth and photograph themselves. Once the photo is taken, randomly one of two generative growths begin to appear on the users face in a mirror-like screen….either tiny bright white sparkles, almost fur-like crystals, form like a mask on the users face, giving the viewer the sense of purity, warmth, and wealth, or tiny black-mold-like fur grows on the face forming a kind of black-mold mask on the users face in the mirror-like screen. The user is able to try again to see what outcome occurs, however, there is no way to know whether the user will get white sparkle or black mold. Sometimes users get repeated black mold, and sometimes the white sparkle. Users can’t help but feel the computer’s random selection is showing something deeper, relating to good or bad luck, vibes, energy, maybe even speaking of the future.Materials: Computer, web camera, lighting