signal
ben miller
The visual system excels at assembling spatial information, e.g. edges, lines, depth relations, etc., into experience of objects and visual scenes. What happens when this same information is transduced into a novel signal: can our perceptual system map unfamiliar stimuli to known concepts and generate familiar experiences? This installation presents a volume of uniform light without any visible source or shape, varying in brightness and color over time. Place your hand inside and observe how the light changes with its position. What object might this signal represent? What world does your mind begin to construct that might explain it, and how does that develop as your hand explores the scene? Can the result of this, the recognition of something that exists only between the eye and the mind, affect how you perceive the light?
also installed at: Beyond the Cradle 2018, Envisioning a New Space Age | MIT Media Lab