On a table-shaped stage, 36 rectangular panels, with black on one face and white on the other, stand straight in a grid array. As you approach the stage, the panels start to flip back and forth, rapidly or slowly. The panels’ movements change according to the situation; sometimes they react directly to your movements, and sometimes all of the panels move as in a choreographed dance.

There are 28 infrared sensors set around the stage, analyzing the number of viewers, their locations, their movements and direction. The results of this analysis becomes the basis of the panels’ movements. The work is an automatic sculpture, run by motors, flipping back and forth sometimes slowly, and programmed to exhibit behavioral variations. When the panels move, it provokes you to react, causing a chain of user-machine interaction. If the machine fails to sense changes in its environment, the piece remains static. If the machine senses too many changes in its environment, it switches into a pre-programmed set of movements. Occasionally, the panels move all at once when you move away from the piece. In this manner, the piece takes on unexpected movements, provoking us to reflect on the relationship between ourselves and the piece’s reactions. The sounds made by the motors are also part of the artwork.

This work received a Runner-Up mention at the ICC Biennale ’99.