The name of the piece—let's call it "Art n J Think" for short, or perhaps parse the original string artnjthnkjpnnswtchbasenspzipertopart—was a deliberate nod to the glitchy, unpolished reality of modern creation.
We were tasked with creating an installation that visualized data streams. The core concept was a "Zipper" mechanism—a physical archway made of hundreds of individual LED panels that would "unzip" as visitors walked through it, revealing a "Switch Base" of raw computational logic underneath. It was meant to represent the thin veneer of user interface (the Zipper) hiding the chaotic base code (the Switch Base) beneath.
The title itself, a jumble of lowercase letters, was a metaphor for the command line interface—raw, unformatted, and intimidating to the uninitiated.
Pull the slider up gently toward the new top stop. It should hit the stop and stay on the tape. If the slider passes over the stop, your crimp wasn’t tight enough. Remove the stop (cut it off carefully) and try a new one.
⚠️ Critical steps before you begin:
Pro tip: Take a “before” photo of the base’s connector area. You will thank yourself later.
Difficulty Level: Moderate Time Required: [e.g., 30–45 Minutes] Tools Needed:
Every installation has a backbone. In the art world, it’s usually wood and steel. In the tech world, it’s a database. For the Switchbase installation, it was both.
We built a literal base—a raised platform housing the "brains" of the operation. This was the root directory of the project. Inside sat an array of microcontrollers (Raspberry Pi 4s and Arduino Megas), all networked together via a local switch.
The challenge wasn't just the wiring; it was the logic. We had to program the "Zipper Top"—the aesthetic layer—to react to proximity sensors. If a viewer walked too fast, the zipper would "jam," flickering red. If they walked slowly, it would unzip with a satisfying digital hum.
This is where the "install" part of the process became a nightmare.
The name of the piece—let's call it "Art n J Think" for short, or perhaps parse the original string artnjthnkjpnnswtchbasenspzipertopart—was a deliberate nod to the glitchy, unpolished reality of modern creation.
We were tasked with creating an installation that visualized data streams. The core concept was a "Zipper" mechanism—a physical archway made of hundreds of individual LED panels that would "unzip" as visitors walked through it, revealing a "Switch Base" of raw computational logic underneath. It was meant to represent the thin veneer of user interface (the Zipper) hiding the chaotic base code (the Switch Base) beneath.
The title itself, a jumble of lowercase letters, was a metaphor for the command line interface—raw, unformatted, and intimidating to the uninitiated. artnjthnkjpnnswtchbasenspzipertopart install
Pull the slider up gently toward the new top stop. It should hit the stop and stay on the tape. If the slider passes over the stop, your crimp wasn’t tight enough. Remove the stop (cut it off carefully) and try a new one.
⚠️ Critical steps before you begin:
Pro tip: Take a “before” photo of the base’s connector area. You will thank yourself later.
Difficulty Level: Moderate Time Required: [e.g., 30–45 Minutes] Tools Needed: The name of the piece—let's call it "Art
Every installation has a backbone. In the art world, it’s usually wood and steel. In the tech world, it’s a database. For the Switchbase installation, it was both.
We built a literal base—a raised platform housing the "brains" of the operation. This was the root directory of the project. Inside sat an array of microcontrollers (Raspberry Pi 4s and Arduino Megas), all networked together via a local switch. Pro tip: Take a “before” photo of the
The challenge wasn't just the wiring; it was the logic. We had to program the "Zipper Top"—the aesthetic layer—to react to proximity sensors. If a viewer walked too fast, the zipper would "jam," flickering red. If they walked slowly, it would unzip with a satisfying digital hum.
This is where the "install" part of the process became a nightmare.