My Little Piece of Privacy, an installation by Niklas Roy

With a surveillance camera, computer vision, and a motorized pulley system, Berlin-based artist Niklas Roy created an interactive installation in the form of an open window with a hard-working lace curtain. The 2010 piece, titled My Little Piece of Privacy, mixes humor with the topic of public vs private space.

Holy Konni created the 8-bit style music, and that’s Roy testing the curtain in the photo above. He explains:

My workshop is located in an old storefront with a big window facing towards the street. In an attempt to create more privacy inside, I’ve decided to install a small but smart curtain in that window. The curtain is smaller than the window, but an additional surveillance camera and an old laptop provide it with intelligence: The computer sees the pedestrians and locates them. With a motor attached, it positions the curtain exactly where the pedestrians are.

The whole setup works really well. But in the end, it doesn’t protect my privacy at all. It seems that the existence of my little curtain is leading itself ad absurdum, simply by doing its job very well. My moving curtain attracts the looks of people which usually would never care about my window. It is even the star of the street now! My curtain is just engaged. And because of that, it fails.

Previously from Roy on TKSST: Bouquet, a device that translates colors into fragrances.

Then watch these community-driven art installation videos:
• The Dipped Painting Project by Oliver Jeffers
• Yayoi Kusama’s Obliteration Room
• A time lapse of Sol LeWitt’s Wall Drawing 797
• The jazz of a helium ball & charcoal: Karina Smigla-Bobinski’s ADA

via Colossal.