me + you

me + you is an interactive A.I. light sculpture commissioned for the Smithsonian Institution as part of the “FUTURES” exhibit which marks the re-opening of the Smithsonian Arts + Industries Building after more than 15 years of renovations. This sculpture is comprised of three illuminated elements: a shimmering cloud of light points at the end of over 1,000 translucent, glowing acrylic rods; nine dynamic hemispherical LED portals; and a 20-foot-high central pillar composed of radiating find with LED panels hidden within. Acrylic rods positioned exactly above individual high output LED nodes act as fiber optic channels. Ends inside the base are polished to transmit as much light as possible. Ends facing the viewer are cut straight and etched for soft, yet sharply defined points of light. Exhibit visitors are invited to speak their future vision in a single word into one of the LED portals. Utilizing A.I. techniques, the artwork translates the vision word and its tone into a unique kinetic expression of color and light, which then flows up the center totem where input from the other eight portals is combined into an ever-changing representation of “collective futures.”

Full scale mockups were conducted to evaluate ambient light effects on the light points, and to confirm the appropriate color temperature per artist vision. The totem required mockups to test several materials for the desired balance between translucency, spacing, diffusion and texture of the material in relation to the LED panels carrying the media content. The LED panels were selected based on data processing capabilities, low visual profile, cost, and a lumen package with enough intensity to pierce through the significant amount of ambient daylight that permanently suffuses the final exhibition space. The final sculpture is a luminous invitation for everyone to create our present and future together.