random international: 'audience' installation at design miami/ basel 09

random international: ‘audience’ installation at design miami/ basel 09 ‘audience’ by random international image courtesy random international

london-based collective random international in collaboration with chris o’shea has been invited to show their work ‘audience’ as a satellite installation during this year’s design miami/ basel from june 9 to 13, 2009. they will be represented by the carpenters workshop gallery, london at the event.

‘audience’ image courtesy random international

‘audience’ consists of a large crowd of head-size mirror objects. each object moves its head in a particular way to give it different characteristics of human behaviour. some chat amongst themselves, some shy away and others confidently move to grab your attention.

‘audience’ image courtesy random international

when members of the audience enter the perimeter of the installation, the mirrors inquisitively follow someone that they find interesting. having chosen their subject, they all synchronise and turn their heads towards them. suddenly that person can see their reflection in all of the mirrors.

‘audience’ image courtesy random international

they will watch this person until they become disinterested, then either seek out another subject or return to their private chatter. the suddenly synchronised collective behaviour of the objects is beyond the control of the viewer, as it is left entirely to their discretion to let go of their subject.

‘audience’ image courtesy random international

‘audience’ image courtesy random international

the intention was to start taking interaction with an installation further away from the screen or media wall and introduce it into a more physical, three-dimensional space, and to begin to investigate if machines can evoke diverse emotional reactions with the simplest of means.

‘audience’ image courtesy random international

‘audience’ image courtesy random international

‘audience’ image courtesy random international

‘audience’ image courtesy random international

‘audience’ was originally commissioned by choreographer wayne mcgregor for the deloitte ignite festival at the royal opera house london in september 2008.

Royal Opera House: Audience. from rAndom International on Vimeo.