Development work for Philippe Parreno's "Echo" at MoMA. The screen shows a TouchDesigner node network, the visual programming environment used to build the real-time generative system powering the installation. "Echo" ran at MoMA from 2019 to 2022, a multi-year commission that required the technical system to be robust enough to run continuously in a museum environment.
Working on-site at MoMA during the development of "Echo." The team set up in the lobby with the chandelier and geometric art installation visible overhead. Museum installations mean building and testing in the actual space, not just in a studio. The technical setup had to integrate seamlessly with the architecture.
The "Echo" installation display at MoMA. The large-format screen shows the generative visual system in action, producing abstract, cosmic imagery that evolved in real time. The installation responded to data inputs and environmental conditions, so no two moments were exactly the same. The spherical pendant light next to the screen was part of the lobby architecture.
A computer vision-enabled interactive wall built for Meta. The grid of screens displayed content that responded to people in the room, using body tracking to create real-time interactions. The "Storytelling goes here" placeholder on screen suggests this was during development or a demo setup. The installation was designed for events and showcases.
The development interface for the Meta interactive wall. The screen shows the computer vision pipeline: a grid layout mapping screen positions, a colorful body silhouette from the tracking system, and webcams mounted above the monitor feeding live data. The node-based flowchart visible on screen is the logic connecting body position to screen content.
An IoT workshop intensive at New Lab. These sessions covered rapid prototyping, hardware development, and connected device design. The curriculum was built around the Newlab IoT board (a custom board with MicroPython firmware developed at AoE) and delivered to groups including GE executives. The format: hands-on building, not slide decks.
The Newlab IoT board, a custom-designed circuit board with MicroPython firmware. Built as a teaching and prototyping tool for the IoT workshop intensives at New Lab. The board was designed to be approachable for people new to hardware while being capable enough for real prototyping. Behind it, the orange and blue lights are from other projects in the New Lab space.
An interactive installation built for the New York Times and Kia. The white Kia is parked in a raw industrial space, with custom sensor hardware laid out on a wooden table in the foreground. The black leather pieces with copper backing are handmade capacitive sensor modules, mounted on white boards and ready for integration into the final installation. Visitors would interact with the car through touch and proximity, all driven by these custom sensors.
Custom capacitive sensor fabrication for the NYT/Kia installation. A top-down view of the workshop table mid-build: leather, copper, wire, tools, and the hands-on assembly work that goes into making bespoke interactive hardware. This is what "custom electronics" actually looks like before it becomes a polished installation.
The finished NYT Kia "Harmonize" event. The car is surrounded by dynamic light patterns projected onto the floor and vehicle, responding to visitors' movements and touch. Someone is reaching out to interact with the light on the car's hood. This is the same car and sensor system from the workshop photos, now assembled and running live at the event.
The custom PCB for Pizza Hut's Pie Tops II, photographed on a Technics 1200 turntable (a nod to the studio's other interests). The board is labeled "PIZZA TOPS IR AREA OF EFFECT" and includes surface-mounted components, an IR sensor, and the circuitry that let the sneakers pause your TV when you pressed a button on the tongue. From concept to custom board design to manufacturing.
The Pie Tops II: high-top sneakers that could pause your TV so you wouldn't miss a moment while grabbing pizza. The red button on the tongue with the Pizza Hut logo is the trigger. Built with custom Bluetooth hardware, a custom PCB (visible in the previous image), and firmware that communicated with a companion app. A silly concept taken seriously enough to actually manufacture and ship.
An overhead view of a Brooklyn warehouse where the autonomous chair robots were first being developed, captured by a Nest camera. Two team members working back-to-back at the central table, surrounded by monitors, electronic equipment, and materials. The robotic platforms visible in the middle of the room are early-stage prototypes for Urs Fischer's "PLAY." The large boxes against the far wall, the ladder, the scattered tools: this is what building nine autonomous robots from scratch actually looks like.
The annual New Lab party. The FEELWORLD monitor in the foreground displays "Area of Effect" branding, while a DJ works the Technics turntable behind it. Six years at New Lab meant becoming part of a community of hardware startups, applied research teams, and makers. The yearly party was always a good reminder that the people building the future also know how to throw one.
