Oculus is a two channel video installation commissioned by Creative Time, created in collaboration with artist Melanie Crean. Grand Central Terminal is a critical point of confluence for the thousands of people who travel to and from New York every day. The installation dynamically engages specific architectural features of the ceiling, including the arched windows and barrel vault structure, and highlights the existing tapestry of illuminated stars and constellations. Activating the entire ceiling, Oculus suggests an alternative reading for the interior of New York’s grandest public space.
The artwork uses dual computer-controlled video projectors to create a virtual stage set on the illuminated sky ceiling above the main concourse. A digital shooting star grows to form a large oculus, through which successive waves of white doves escape in an escalating frenzy of release. Positioned directly above the station’s enormous suspended American flag, the project uses Grand Central’s architecture, combined with highly detailed digital animation to make a statement about political possibilities in turbulent times.
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