nixfiles:you are here

You are Here is an interactive map of the earth and sky.

A computer screen is suspended near eye level. The screen rotates freely and shows the constellations, stars, and planets, as if in a magic window. In the view through the window, it is possible to see down through the globe to the continents and stars on the other side.

People usually orient themselves to their immediate surroundings. The act of moving around a window into a much larger world makes their relationship to the globe profoundly more tangible.

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You are Here was installed at Burningman 2004, near the Temple of Stars. The software ran all night on Friday and Saturday nights, and the rest of the time the support structure provided a pleasant and shady place to sit and look at the temple. Many many thanks to all the people who helped with the installation:

Here's the original installation plan for burningman 2004. I'm amazed by how many of the "ideally..." items actually came to pass!

Looking north over Eureka Valley in San Francisco. In the foreground, Corona Heights and Buena Vista Park are in the upper left, and the intersection of Castro and Market Streets is visible in yellow near the center of the picture. Behind that, the north pole can be seen, and the outline of Greenland is recognizable below the horizon on the right. Directly behind the north pole is the constellation Gemini. In the lower left the sun is visible in the constellation Cancer.