Binocular Tension

“Binocular Tension” is a stretched horizontal display with the image of two large human eyes that track and follow the observer with a built-in computerized tracking system. When a public member is detected, their presence triggers the eyes to wake up, looking at the visitor directly, creating an uncanny experience that questions who is the observer and who is the observed. The piece is part of a series of surveillance pieces that started in 1992 with the interactive installation “Surface Tension,” where an image of a giant human eye follows the observer with Orwellian precision. In this series of works, the artist creates a tangible manifestation of observation itself as the subject of the work of art. Here, eye contact is presented as a technological mechanism of sentience, seduction, policing, and control.

General info

Spanish name:
Tensión Binocular
Year of creation:
2024
Technique:
Display monitor, 3D sensor, computer, wooden frame, custom code written in Python
Dimensions:
117 x 41 x 12 cm
Keywords:
Edition:
6 Editions, 1 AP
Collectors:
private collector

Exhibitions

  • ARCO ’25, Galería Max Estrella, Madrid, Spain, 2025.
  • Zona MACO, PACE Gallery, Mexico City, México, 2025.

Credits

  • Software: Saralin Zassman, Lauria Clarke, Stephan Schulz
  • Hardware: Tim Belliveau, Saralin Zassman, Lauria Clarke, Stephan Schulz
  • Production Assistance: Tim Belliveau, Karine Charbonneau, Lauria Clarke, Daniela Silva, Gabriel Rizzotti, Matthieu Vanier, Michel Zabitsky