HAZE Express is an interactive computer installation that develops the metaphor of traveling and watching landscapes passing by through the window of vehicles such as trains, cars and air planes. When looking at a landscape at high speed, one does not really know very much about this landscape, how it looks in detail or how people live in it, for example. The passing landscapes become mere images, accumulations of forms, shapes and colors, like a haze of impressions.
HAZE Express is an interactive computer installation that performs the recombination, development and evolution of seemingly random images in a way that is reminiscent of how we see images through the window of a train.
In the interactive journey with HAZE Express the viewer can watch the passing images, stop them and look at their composition in more detail. The way he moves his hand on the train window surface will influence how the landscape behind becomes composed: non-deterministic evolutionary image composition linked to interaction will always provide new and unique image elements that become part of a semi-realistic and semi-virtual trip through data landscapes.
Sitting in one of the HAZE Express’s comfortable chairs, the viewer can look out of the window and move his hand on the window surface. When he slides his hand from the left to the right, the images will slide in the same direction, uncovering continuous landscapes, composed of organic and abstract image scenes.
The location of where the viewer touches the window as well as the frequency and speed of his hand’s movement will influence what kind of image elements will be created.
Genetic selection is used to always provide new image elements that are selected by the viewer’s interaction.
The faster the hand slides horizontally on the window surface, the faster the landscape scrolls in the same direction. Images can also be simply stopped by creasing the hand’s movement while remaining with the hand on the window surface.

Developed for International Academy of Media Arts and Sciences (IAMAS), Japan.

Christa Sommerer (A) studied biology an dbotany in Vienna, completed studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna and post-graduate studies at the Städelschule in Frankfurt. She is currently professor at the international Media Academy in Gifu (Japan) and artistic director of ATR Advanced Telecommunication Research Laboratories in Kyoto (Japan).

Laurent Mignonneau (F) studied sculpting in Angouleme and completed post-graduate studies at the Städelschule in Frankfurt. He is currently artist in residence at the International Media Academy in Gifu (Japan) and artistic director at ATS Advanced Telecommunication Research Laboratories in Kyoto (Japan).