Camille Utterback and Alan H. Davidson installing touch sensitive handrail for interactive light work.

Over the past week, Camille Utterback has been installing her as-yet-untitled (suggestions?) interactive sculptural artwork for the lobby of the Showplace Theaters in The West End, St. Louis Park, MN. It’s all working!

Camille Utterback, untitled interactive artwork, The West End, St. Louis Park, MN

There are 6 tubes with LED lights hanging over the staircase in the lobby of the theater. The LEDs react to people touching the handrails along the balcony. Each touch of a hand rail creates an upward “blip” in the corresponding LED light, which is the color of the rail at that moment. The length of the blip is determined by the duration of touching the rail. If all 6 rails are touched simultaneously, the lights rain down blips.

Camille Utterback, untitled interactive sculpture, The West End.

The balcony railing still needs to be stained, so the touch sensitive sections will not be permanently installed till next week, but it’s all working and ready of for the opening of The West End, which will begin in stages after September 15.

See Alan H. Davidson’s excellent documentation on flickr and previous posts on Public Address.

yay! congratulations!

it’s going to be stunning in the dark!

Looking great! Can’t wait to get to out to MN to try touching that balcony railing.

Camille,

It looks fantastic, wish I could see it in person. How about “Transfussion” as a title.

Best of Luck.

Claire

Hey Camille: This looks amazing, congratulations. And it’s in my region, so I’ll be able to check it out sometime soon. I like the tactile element, wonder if this is a direction you’re heading? Hmmm, I’ll stay tuned. Best, Colleen

Yes, I’m so glad to see it working. Looks great – I can see how this setup might be applicable to a lot of different spaces.
seth

Hey Camille,

This work looks beautiful – of course.
I love the balcony railing as sensor – what a natural and unfettered choice.

Linda

Too bad the name Northern Lights is already taken….looks like another beautiful and poetic piece. If we get to MN next summer we will have to make a detour.

Love to you
Laura D