All Eyes on You

Prototype of all eyes on you.

(It was calibrated to Obama's eyes...)

The wall of my room normally. 

My wall through the glasses.

This exhibit was inspired by the "All Eyes on Me" exhibit at the Exploratorium. "All Eyes on Me" is very much a solo experience. It's one person sitting in front of what looks like a dressing mirror. I wanted to explore a wearable piece that resembles a mask of eyes. I thought it could be quite a creepy experience. The wearer and the viewer also have very distinct experiences. Whereas the viewer sees a number of eyes of the wearer, the wearer sees three images of the world in front of them in stereo. I liked the idea of exploring different ways of seeing the world. It kinda resembles a wearable kaleidoscope.

This exhibit extends the idea of the mirror hat in emotional & perceptual responses to wearable mirror pieces. Whereas the hat only gave the viewer an opportunity to experience the mirrors, this mask/ glasses-like piece gives the wearer an interesting experience as well.

Ideally, two people visiting the museum together would discover this exhibit. One would put the piece on. The wearer would be disoriented but fascinated by this different way of seeing the world. The viewer would also be taken aback and surprised by the number of eyes suddenly all staring at her. During this process, they would be talking to each other about what they see, and be eager to switch roles. This perceptual engagement would encourage them to figure out why they see what they see.

Adjusting for distance between eyes was a problem encountered. It was built for Obama, so my eyes didn't show up properly. Unlike the All Eyes on Me exhibit, this one would require the cooperation of two people to "calibrate" the position of the glasses/ mask.

Moving forward, I would make the mirrors smaller and increase the number of mirrors so there would be even more eyes staring at you. I would also put a normal mirror by the exhibit so that solo visitors could see themselves if they angled the piece.