V2_lab's D-Tower

The D-Tower was up from 1998 to 2004, developed by V2_lab for the Dutch city of Doetinchem. It is a large jellyfish-like structure which changed colors based on what people felt in the city happiness, fear, love, or hate. A sort of mood ring for the population of people giving feedback to the machine. Each sensation corresponding to a specific color which lit up the tower: green = hate, red = love, blue = fear, yellow = happiness.

There were three actual parts to this installation the actual tower, a website and a questionnaire. This allowed for controlled massive connection to this device. The networking of many peoples emotions to control the color of a statue in town is definitely one of the more original ideas I have heard in some time. The concept of city wide input is interesting as well, essentially mapping out a whole city's emotions and combining them into one installation of art. It is comparable to Sol Lewitt's Copied Lines piece where each person contributes a small percentage of the overall end piece, but all collaborated to create it.

This particular installation is just one example of how far our information network has come to where we can interconnect hundreds of people all together for a mutual goal. The information super highway known as the internet has even further potential to expand what can be done with art working in union with computers.