Joining the Dots.
Permanent video installation,
Tralee, Co. Kerry. 2011
A schoolchild in Ardfert tries a kung-fu kick
Based on Gunnar Johansson’s work on the perception of human bodies in motion, Joining the Dots - a public art commission for Ardfert, Co. Kerry - explores how our minds can extrapolate from such minimal information as a cluster of moving dots to divine complete human figures in motion. We worked with the choreographer Cindy Cummings and with Dr. Phil Kelly of CLARITY Centre for Sensor Web Technologies to realise a ‘dot-film’ with school children from Ardfert National School, exploring this universe of dots, in which particles, people and planets can coexist.
The final films are made up only of moving white dots on a black background, which a spectator might take for stars or particles, until closer observation reveals many human forms in movement, like constellations come to life.
Dr. Noel O’Connor and his team from CLARITY - a research institute for developing sensor technology based at DCU in Dublin - suggested that we develop a program together for plotting Dot-Man using the Kinect (a camera system for the xBox that allows 3D tracking of gamers bodies). We will be working with them throughout the year to make a kind of ‘Dot-Mirror’ installation which transforms visitors instantly into dot-people.
The Kinect camera
Dr. Noel O’Connor
Dr. Philip Kelly & Dr. David Monaghan from CLARITY explore the possibilities of the Kinect
Tracking diagram of a moving child’s body, March 2011.
Two dancing dot-children from Ardfert.
Video installation in front of the County Museum, Denny Street, Tralee, projected each evening on Denny Street (outside the County Museum) Tralee from January 2012.
Joining the Dots; Extract