KARL (the Kinectic Algorithmic Realtime Landscape) is a permanent nightly installation that creates an interactive, collaborative public space for visitors to San Francisco's Civic Center Plaza. It asks the question “What if San Francisco’s fog visited the plaza to play with visitors?” As visitors enter the 150 x 40 foot plaza, projected lights and stylized fog droplets flock and swirl around them. KARL also creates connections between would-be strangers by forming currents of light that bridge the space between distant groups of people across the plaza.
KARL is a part of the Helen Diller Civic Center Playgrounds. Andrea Cochran Landscape Architects infused the theme of fog throughout the playground designs. KARL extends this theme into the nighttime hours with new forms of playful civic spaces.
This project exists due to the support from the Helen Diller Family Foundation as well as the work from The Trust for Public Land, San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, Bothman Construction, endrestudio, and Immersive.
For more information, please see the press release.
Cory Barr: Artist, Software Engineering, Project Director
George Zisiadis: Artist
Matt Thomas: Software Engineering
Paul Mans: Software Engineering
Immersive: Projection Engineering