Art / News
Playful tech installations coming to Bristol this summer
A series of playful technology-driven installations will take over the streets of Bristol this summer.
Projects ranging from AI-dodging games to a “sci-fi infused digital jungle” will see Bristol’s streets transformed at night to a playful arena of interactive light projects.
Six artists have received funding from the Watershed as part of the Playable City Sandbox programme to develop their own projects.
is needed now More than ever
The programme hopes to encourage designers and artists to create playful, human-centred technology installations through prototypes which will be placed around Bristol, triggering conversations about inclusion, sustainability, surveillance and the future of cities.
One of the artists awarded funding is creative robotics studio Air Giants, who build inflatable, pneumatically controlled robots which will bring audiences a visual and tactile experience using inflatable soft robotic technology.
Visitors can expect to find the robots wrapped around trees, lamp posts and other street furniture, and are encouraged to hug, squeeze, lean on or poke them, as the robots respond with shape-change, light and sound.
Fireflies, A Glitch by Screaming Colour and Arcane will be created by Glitch AR – photo: Glitch AR
Another of the winning projects is called How (not) to be hit by a self-driving car. Artists Tomo Kihara + Playfool have created a game in which humans have to avoid being detected by AI, aiming to explore the effects of advancements in surveillance.
One project, The House of Weaving Songs, is created by a feminist art group of Somali women called The Dhaqan Collective. The work seeks to foreground the voices of Somali women and elders in their community and connect Bristol to cultural practices that could help inspire people to tackle climate change.
Other projects include immersive installations, graffiti projects, gaming designs and a moving light experience at Temple Meads.
The interactive exhibition will be showcased around Bristol for one week in July 2023.
Main photo: Air Giants/My World
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