// new media class

As technology evolves, our world is becoming increasingly personalized. Sites like Facebook individualize their advertisements based on data describing the behavior of the user; news aggregators arrange headlines in an order that will more likely result in a “click;” restaurants track and chart customer preferences so that when they return, every patrons desires are anticipated and uniquely catered to.

The experience of consuming art, however, has remained largely unaltered. Enthusiasts still look to galleries, museums, and fairs to see the work they want to see, and rarely is their experience modified, choreographed, or interrupted. With our ever-changing culture in mind and in the spirit of the mission of Project in the Cloud, our piece, Guidepost, “networks” the exhibition together by suggesting a unique position for each gallery visitor to begin his or her experience in the space.

Guidepost prompts each guest to choose a keyword describing works in the exhibition. Depending on the visitors’ choice, the machine suggests five more keywords. After a second choice is made, the machine prints a receipt with a suggested starting point. The suggestion is accompanied by images and a floor plan indicating where the piece is located in the gallery. Interaction with the machine is optional and does not dictate the gallery-going experience. Rather, the recommendation serves as a way of personalizing each visitors experience and drawing the individual in.