Swampbucks

2004 / telepresence performance, Max/Jitter/softVNS

Swampbucks is a performance documenting the relationship between franchised physical and virtual spaces using telepresence (bringing remote spaces together in real-time through networked communications). Wearing baseball caps fitted with wireless cameras, 2 unique 15-minute experiences of having a cup of coffee at a Starbucks was captured via video, and uploaded to the web using Starbucks' own wireless internet connection.

The cameras were directed towards the bill of the cap, recording the surrounding environs, as well as an eye from each viewer, as a small mirror was installed at the end of the bill, pointed back towards the performer's face. Custom software authored in MAX/JITTER/softVNS, tracked the direction and movement of each users' eye, causing a Starbucks-logo brush to 'paint' with the streaming video into a window inside the custom software application. Another MAX application then combined these two animations into one video file, fusing the two remote physical locations in the virtual space of the internet.

excerpt of final combined nz and us (left and right eyes)                                 eye-tracking software at work

doug's (right eye) performance at  starbucks in nz                                           matt's (left eye) performance at starbucks in us