Kumiko Kushiyama: Fur-Fly

Artist(s):

• Kumiko Kushiyama

Collaborators:

• Shinji Sasada -
  • Waseda University
  • Japan Electronics College
• Soichiro Takeyama -
  • Japan Electronics College

Title:

Fur-Fly

Exhibition:

• SIGGRAPH 2009: BioLogic: A Natural History of Digital Life

Creation Year:

2008

Medium:

faux fur, various software, animation, projector

Category:

• Interactive & Monitor-Based

Artist Statement:

Fur-Fly is in an interactive tactile display composed of individual pieces of faux fur. It explores the borders between the analog and the digital. This artwork uses real-time, sensor-driven computer technology to animate and transform visual effects projected onto the soft surface and to control the movement of the components in response to the user. Playing with the notion of images in a cloud form, the projected display and soft tufts of fur occasionally resolve into recognizable pictures. The warmth, softness, and accessibility of the display surface encourage interaction. Fur-Fly seamlessly integrates art, design, and entertainment with practical techno-logical developments. It proposes a tactile approach to human-computer interface design. While playfully presented, the research and technology that underpin Fur-Fly have wide-ranging applications for multi-modal interaction design and assistive technologies.