Screen Savour

Écran de veille is a generative documentary that warps our understanding of the ‘idle’ screen space, and explores the potential of feedback loops as playful interfaces on a grand scale.

The piece presents several generative ‘screen savers’ created live through optical video feedback - colourful evolving patterns created using a surveillance camera (mounted within the projection cabin) which ‘watches’ the screen. This giant ouroboros loop can also be disrupted by the movement of passers by, echoing their movement like ripples in a pond.

The ‘screen savers’ are interrupted by short scenes that appear to show someone navigating a computer desktop, looking through a bizarre collection of research: texts on chaos theory and ‘strange loops’, images of geckos and snakes, jigsaws of jigsaws, and even the projection site at St Laurent. Does this person know we can see their screen? Or perhaps they can see us?

CREDITS

Concept, video design: Sam Meech
Sound design: Tom Rea Smith

Thanks to: Studio Iregular