Word Wall!

Word Wall - Current Words (Still In Progress, 3D Angled View)
Word Wall Current Words (Still In Progress, 3D Angled View)

I recently got a grant from Ignition Northwest to help me put together a project I’ve had in my head for a few years. I’m calling it the Word Wall.

The Word Wall is an aluminum panel on a stand with a highly technical and smooth finished character. Words are cut into the surface and can be programmatically lit from within. The wall can be interacted with by pressing words. It’s a little over 6′ x 6′.

When no one is within range of the wall, the various words embedded in the metal surface pulse mostly randomly. Sometimes meaning can be put to the sequence of random words.

When within range of the wall, you are beckoned to interact: “start, start, start”. But you don’t know what kind of interaction you will get with each visit.

The words that are pressed are sequenced and looped in time on the wall. Fir example, if you press the words “here”, “i”, “am”, the wall will then play back those words by lighting them in sequence, and after a pause, this loop continues until the participant presses something different, or walks away.

The grant is from Ignition Northwest, a NW organization coming out of the Burning Man networks in town. They throw a yearly mini Burning Man called Critical Massive, and fund a fair number of projects. They gave out over $10,000 this year and I was fortunate to be included.

Word Wall - Current Words (Still In Progress, 3D Front View)
Word Wall Current Words (Still In Progress, 3D Front View)

Word Wall - Testing Word Size - Pressing Love
(viewing and pressing words full scale on my computer display)

Word Wall - Current Words
Word Wall Current Words (Still In Progress)

Word Wall - Testing Word Size - Pressing Zero
(viewing and pressing words full scale on my computer display)

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