Chorus 2.0 /// 2007 /// LED-Installation
/// David Link

A three-part, elliptical LED display measuring 10 m in diameter and four microphones hangs above the heads of visitors seated at tables of the ZetKaEm restaurant. The sound of the organized entertainment steers the “atmosphere” and “speed” of the generated text in that the sound is recorded and analyzed. A continual stream of text in illuminated fire-red type flows across the LEDs. The text mirrors and reflects the themes about which the restaurant visitors are currently discussing and disputing – almost as if the machine can read thoughts. With the discussions held by the restaurant visitors, the system carries out data mining, attempts to guess the meaning of the discussions and thus functions as a clairvoyant oracle. The current of text resounding above the heads of the visitors is spoken by a synthetic voice. Although this is understandable and syntactically correct, it still retains a very unique and sophisticated quality. Almost carried away in its expression, it tempts the visitors to different interpretations and entangles them once again in new streams of thought and word cascades.
(Text: Anja Gossens)

David Link(*1971 in Düsseldorf) computer artist and archaeologist, lives and works in Cologne. Has been working on the development of text generating algorithms since 1997. Life is about the understanding of the instinctual arrangement and storage of appearances. Further information can be found on his website http://alpha60.de.

Version 1.0 of this installation was supported by Le Fresnoy, Studio national
Technical support: Klatho GmbH, Hamburg

Photo: David Link 

David Link, Chorus 2.0, 2007, LED installation, 3-part elliptically formed LED display, steel ring with 10 m diameter, 4 microphones, language synthesizer, loaned by the artist