This project was part of Ars Electronica’s ambitious 80+1 project. It formed part of the Linz 2009 European Capital of Culture Year, and was sponsored by Voestalpina and Linz 09.
Details about 80+1 project
80+1 website
“Topology of Dubai” highlights the construction crane and its movements that are the very expression of city growth. The collective purposeful movements of the crane operators becomes seemly random expressions when assembled together by the installation. However, their movements are not random, and their patterns of growth will become visible over time. The movements of numerous cranes are captured by streaming video cameras that have a clear view of building constructions sites around Dubai. The cameras will stream video to the Internet for viewing anywhere in the world. In Linz, software analyzes the incoming video to find the current orientation of the crane boom. This orientation data is then used by a 3D printer to construct a sculptural record of the city’s growth.