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======= PROGRESS REPORT July 15, 2019 =======
Rob Scharein and I have been using his proprietary Polyhedra software application to explore the shapes that we want to make and video-map onto. After consulting with our engineer, Rob has programmed a few iterations of software updates to Polyhedra so that it will generate the numbers we need to actually build these structures. Our engineer and I have come up with a simple, scalable, modular design that can be applied to virtually any shape that we view in Polyhedra. Our design will create this shape using 3 parts; hubs, poles and skin. The most difficult parts to build are the hubs.
CONCLUSION After months of work, frustration and problem solving, we are ready to start building the hubs! This is a small scale demo model of a large interactive video display I am making. This installation is designed to showcase my analog/digital hybrid video feedback made with the help of Rob Scharein through our MetaMirrors software. The sensor in the video (under my right hand) is a gesture interface controlling digital kaleidoscopes mapped onto the surface. This interface will be built into a sculpture in the center of the structure. In the first part of the video you can see me move my left hand into the kaliedoscope. On the large version, this will be a participants entire body. They will be able to step into the image and seed the fractals with their body while standing on a stage riser out side of the structure. In this way, a person outside the structure can interact with another person inside the structure. This environment will have a capacity for between 10 to 15 people. The entire structure is a multi-faceted interactive kaleidoscope. It will be 7 and a half feet high at the centre and 14 feet in diameter. It is composed of 10 triangles, 6 pentagons, and is flat on the bottom. This structure will be made from off the shelf one inch diameter EMT (electrical metallic tubing). Once assembled it will be skinned with white spandex that provides a surface for video projection. The entire structure is a video mapped projection screen visible from inside and outside. Five video projectors evenly spaced around the outside of the structure, project video on to the walls. A sixth projector shoots down on to the top. One of the bottom triangular panels will serve as the entrance. There are 2 ways to interact with the video projected onto this structure. First, one can simply move in front of an interactive wall on the inside. Tracers will appear to flow off of ones body interrupting the cycling kaleidoscope patterns on that wall. This interactive hot spot is perfect for dancing to music. The second way to interact with the images is by moving ones hand over a sensor allowing the software based kaleidoscopes to be rotated or zoomed in and out. There are two artists making separate and distinct interactive video content for this installation, myself; Merlyn Chipman and my art partner, Rob Scharein. MetaMirrors, the kaleidoscope software used is, a collaboration between my self and Rob Scharein. We will display our art through it for people to interact with. It is possible for this installation to display other artists work as well. My first burn was 1999 but this will be my first installation. The Chamber of Infinite Distraction is the distillation of 20 years of my art practice in interactive psychedelic video. 
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