Squidsoup – Pest Control Infestation
Phoenix Square has been invaded by bugs! Our gallery is swarming with digital creepy crawlies! Can you help us keep the little creatures under control? Chase, swat, splat, and squish to your heart’s content, but be careful, or you might just find one crawling along your arm!
Pest Control 2 – Infestation by digital arts group Squidsoup creates an amazing virtual ecosystem in the DMU Cube gallery, populated by strange insect-like creatures.
These digital bugs can be swatted, flattened or flicked, and by placing something in their way you can block their path and make them change direction.
The creatures are aware of their surroundings and each other, and all have their own personalities: some are nasty carnivores whilst others are nice, gentle and timid. They all react in very different ways to humans.
Squidsoup is a digital arts group specialising in immersive interactive installations. Their work combines sound, light, physical space and virtual worlds to produce immersive and emotive experiences. They explore the modes and effects of interactivity, looking to create meaningful and creative ways to engage with art.
Pest Control 2 – Infestation builds on a series of related research and projects that place responsive and aware digital creatures in physical space, exploring the boundaries and relationships between digital and physical environments. Related projects include Glowing Pathfinder Bugs (2008, updated 2011), Pest Control (2010) and Living Timelines (2012). Pest Control 2 uses ceiling mounted Kinect sensors (Microsoft X-Box game controllers) to detect movement and interactions in 3D within the gallery space.
Showing as part of the Spark Children’s Art Festival. Pest Control 2 has been commissioned by Phoenix.