Watching Water Spill
2023

Multi-channel video, projectors, computer and sensors
‘Watching Water Spill’ is a research-led artwork that investigates the extent of control we possess over our anxiety and aims to transform this abstract concept into a tangible and observable form.

Rather than viewing our thoughts as feelings we must passively accept, ‘Watching Water Spill’ presents anxiety as a mental state we can actively choose to embrace or reject. The project seeks to translate the intangibility of anxiety into a physical space, grounding this emotion in reality and providing individuals with a sense of autonomy over their experiences.

‘Watching Water Spill’ is an installation that uses a two-channel video projection and a Microsoft Azure Kinect depth camera. Using a Microsoft Kinect, the camera's machine learning software distinguishes whether a person is static or in motion. The audience is encouraged to be present and actively watch the narrative unfold; however, if the audience moves, the camera will detect their movement, and a TouchDesigner program cuts and splices the film, plunging the audience into a state of uncertainty and disorder.

The video projections display a moving image sequence that follows a narrative shaped around the experience of anxiety. This experimental film is formed using footage from various sources, including films, adverts, TV, the internet, and original content. The diverse range of media references how different forms shape our perception of the world contributing to an overwhelming volume that conveys a constant sense of anxiety.



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© Thomas Bugg 2023 → ∞
Mark