SHUTTER
SHUTTER is an interactive installation prototype developed within the CultureHub Residency Program. The work invites participants into a performative space where live portraits are captured and processed in real-time through custom software, with generative outputs projected as evolving collective montages. Participants may choose to become "performers" by stepping into the photobooth or remain "observers" of the live video feeds, often switching roles multiple times throughout the experience. Performers can opt to close the curtains of the photobooth for privacy or keep it open to invite observation.
As participants enter the camera’s view, the system activates, initiating a real-time transformation of their footage. The processed imagery is projected through dual video feeds outside the booth, establishing a social interaction framework where the audience engages with the live performance. An adjacent wall displays a random compilation of footage captured throughout the day, forming a collective memory montage. Performers can instantly download their generative portraits as they step out the booth, serving as a keepsake of their interaction. The installation opening featured live sound improvisations by artist Anaís Azul.
SHUTTER engages with the poetics of portraiture and photography. The ever-evolving work explores themes of generative art, technological performance, and the fluid nature of self-perception and memory. It considers generative art as both a performance of technology and a reflection on our bodies as ever-changing vessels of transformation.
Artist: Carrie Chen, CultureHub Resident Artist 2023-2024
Composer & Live Sound Improvisation: Anaís Azul
Special Thanks: Stacy Dawson Stearns, Camille Weins, Billy Clark, Mattie Barber-Bockelman, CultureHub
Documentation: Brian Hashimoto, CultureHub