Imagination Environment

[DudeAsInCool]

Matthew Mirapaul explores "Imagination Environment," a digital media art project propelled by an image search engine:

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An Internet search can resemble the psychological process of free association. Just as an online search for the word robin may yield results that range from chirping birds to merry men, a mind that's wandering through a storehouse of memories might stumble across thoughts of Batman's sidekick or that cute third-grade classmate.

This parallel is explored in a new high-tech artwork in Chicago, "Imagination Environment," which was created by David Ayman Shamma, a doctoral candidate in computer science at Northwestern University, and Kristian J. Hammond, director of Northwestern's Intelligent Information Laboratory.

"Imagination Environment" starts with a live television news broadcast that is displayed at the center of a wall-mounted array of nine computer monitors. A software program scans the broadcast's closed-caption stream and selects keywords that prompt Internet searches for images. Seconds after the live audio is heard, the news broadcast is surrounded by pertinent photographs and illustrations on adjacent screens, as well as some images completely unrelated.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/17/technolo...its/17info.html

[Shawn]

Speaking of images. This guy has the 'b-movie evil villian expression' down.

[DudeAsInCool]

Speaking of images. This guy has the 'b-movie evil villian expression' down.

I believe Shawn is referring to one of the art display's creators...

[Redneck4sure]

I believe Shawn is referring to one of the art display's creators...

Okay then, that guy needs a career change........to B-movie evil villian. :)