The United States of Tara

The Project Scope

POD Design was selected as one of 5 design studios, including the likes of Bruce Mau and others, to design spaces based upon programs on Showtime. We designed a space inspired by dissociative identity disorder and schizophrenia, the primary focus of the program the United States of Tara. In the space, the Loft and Roof spaces are transformed into interior spaces and exterior ones, inverting traditional notions of stability of both space and, by adding both interactive video and wireless headphone audio, time.

Pod Design worked with Perlin Studios to create an interior space with modular, laser cut wood that looks both like the interior of the brain as well as an audio waveform. The team created an interactive video wall, where Tara’s 3 personality shifting characters tracked viewer’s faces and bodies, and followed them around the room. We also made inverse surveillance, with a proprietary video switcher, between roofdeck surveillance and modified surveillance video of the show itself.

In addition, an audio work called “Voices in my head” was created. This work could be heard on wireless headphones, giving the spectator a chance to wander the spaces, further creating a sense of disorientation and instability.

Video can be found below

Key Features
• Interactive avatar via facial recognition (green screen film shoot, art direction)
• Wireless audio piece in two zones
• Interactive video wall with motion tracking
• Inverse surveillance video mixed with show clips
• Digital design and fabrication via laser cutting, CNC

The Project Data

RESOURCES
New Jersey Institute of Technology
Carvart
Jungle Design
JW Building Solutions
Universal Laser Systems Inc.
Storefront for Art and Architecutre
Tara De Porte
Toshiba
Fine Paints of Europe
Pantone
Dagr-Nott and Associates

CHARITIES
Harlem Children’s Zone

PARTNERS
Cassa NY, Harlem Children’s Zone, Wired, The New Yorker, CNET, Lon ny, HP, IDS, LG, NJIT, Sonos, NJIT FabLab, Toshiba, Optoma, Ubisoft, Brizo, Dyson, GIVE, Johnnie Walker, Jungle, Karastan, Ketel One Vodka, Lutron, Pantone, Fine Paints of Europe, Swarovski.

SPECIAL THANKS
Estelle Nichols and my team of minions at NJIT’s FabLab including Gene Dassing, Steven Santander, Chris Morello, Matt Lynch.