Hidden in your movement and invisible to the naked eye is an essence unique to you: your hu. But under just the right conditions, this spectrum of being can be exposed. This installation aims to capture and visualize your hu.

Located at Samsung’s flagship 837 Washington store, the installation uses a single Samsung Galaxy S7 to capture a series of portraits as visitors move through the space. These photos are then merged with code-based generative art, creating an elegant and dynamic Spectrum of Being - a unique photographic signature based on their movements.

This final image becomes a unique piece of art based on each visitor, and can be saved, shared, or displayed on a nearby 90 foot video screen as part of the permanent collection at 837 Washington St.

To create an experience that felt more like a fine art installation than something you’d expect from a brand, we assembled an integrated team of artists and experts, including photographers, technologists, carpenters, gallerists, curators, videographers, and lighting designers.

They examined the raw physical space within the 837 Store, and determined the ideal footprint, lighting levels, visitor flow, and technical specifications to create the best experience. They ran extensive tests on the Galaxy S7 to determine camera settings, shutter capabilities, and lens range. The installation was built in a warehouse offsite prior to final construction, for testing and evaluation. Materials included wood, multiple LCD video screens, laser triggers, strobes, light absorbing paint, and a single Galaxy S7.

After two months of research and development, the test build took place over two weeks in a warehouse in Brooklyn, followed by a weeklong final build in 837. Final budget was just over $1Million.

Over the course of 3 months, Hu: The Spectrum of Being has generated more than 10,000 unique images, part of an ever-growing body of work. Each image is based on the movements of our visitors and becomes part of the permanent collection at 837 Washington.

This collection of images has been shared all over the world, generating more than a million impressions to date, and continues to grow as hundreds of people visit the installation every single day.