Shannon’s Fireflies, 2011

Seth Hardy - Toronto, Canada
Site 3 coLaboratory - Toronto, Canada

New Media, Light Installation

A grid of suspended light nodes in a cube frame containing sensors will respond to the whispers of participants by converting their words into light, sound and movement. By using whisper stations set up in the labyrinth, two people can talk to each other and subsequently see their words create light and be distorted as they pass through the air. The installation reveals visually how meaning gets distorted when people communicate. Each node, or "firefly", flashes a light as it passes the message along in the same direction. However, the fireflies aren't perfect: instead of reliably passing along a message, they may send it in another direction, to another person, split it up into multiple directions, or not relay it at all.

With a background in computer science and mathematics, Seth Hardy is a founder and Executive Director of Site 3 coLaboratory.  He is dedicated to bringing people in the arts and technology fields to collaborate, teach, and learn. His background in technology forms the basis of his industrial and mixed-media interactive sculptures.

Suitable for all ages