Chrono Shift is a bench designed to facilitate interaction between a present sitter and an absent one. It was produced in collaboration with Ethan Anderson.
We drew on light primaries and chunky, playful forms to promote exploration.
As they sit on the cushion, viewers are positionally linked to dozens of other people that have occupied the same space in both past and future directions. Chrono Shift retains and preserves this connection.
A trapdoor pulls up to reveal a cavern filled with clouded water.
A screen flickers below, displaying a reflection of the last person to open the door. Simultaneously a light-activated camera records the newest user, storing that information for the next video cycle.
A momentary portal opens between the active viewer and their predecessor - for a brief instant, one is able to catch the eye of the other.
The bench’s memory is short-term; once it sees a new face, it immediately deletes its impressions of the last one. Consequently, the connection it provides is private and fleeting.
Maple and poplar. Runs on Arduino and Raspberry Pi.
