ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Gabriel Barcia-Colombo - Video sculptor
Gabe Barcia-Colombo creates madcap art inspired both by Renaissance era curiosity cabinets and the modern-day digital chronicling of everyday life. Think: miniature people projected in objects and a DNA Vending Machine.

Why you should listen

Gabe Barcia-Colombo is an American artist who creates installation pieces that both delight and point to the strangeness of our modern, digital world. His latest work is a DNA Vending Machine, which dispenses vials of DNA extracted from friends at dinner parties. He's also created video installations of "miniature people" encased inside ordinary objects like suitcases, blenders and more. His work comments on the act of leaving one's imprint for the next generation. Call it "artwork with consequences."

As he explains it: "While formally implemented by natural history museums and collections (which find their roots in Renaissance-era 'cabinets of curiosity'), this process has grown more pointed and pervasive in the modern-day obsession with personal digital archiving and the corresponding growth of social media culture. My video sculptures play upon this exigency in our culture to chronicle, preserve and wax nostalgic, an idea which I render visually by 'collecting' human beings (alongside cultural archetypes) as scientific specimens. I repurpose everyday objects like blenders, suitcases and cans of Spam into venues for projecting and inserting videos of people."

Barcia-Colombo is an alumnus and instructor at NYU's Interactive Telecommunications Program. Read about his latest work on CoolHunting and in his TED Fellows profile.

More profile about the speaker
Gabriel Barcia-Colombo | Speaker | TED.com
TED2012

Gabriel Barcia-Colombo: Capturing memories in video art

Gabriel Barcia-Colombo: 用视频艺术记录人生

Filmed:
800,296 views

通过全息显示和视频投影,艺术家Gabriel Barcia-Colombo捕捉和记录下自己的回忆及与朋友的友谊。在TED Fellow的演讲舞台上,他向我们展示了他的这新颖有趣的作品——把人们“收集”进罐头、旅行箱、甚至搅拌机…
- Video sculptor
Gabe Barcia-Colombo creates madcap art inspired both by Renaissance era curiosity cabinets and the modern-day digital chronicling of everyday life. Think: miniature people projected in objects and a DNA Vending Machine. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:16
I love to collect搜集 things.
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我喜欢收集东西。
00:19
Ever since以来 I was a kid孩子, I've had massive大规模的 collections集合
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从我小时候起,我就有一大堆的收集品
00:21
of random随机 stuff东东, everything from bizarre奇异的 hot sauces酱汁
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什么都收集,不管是来自世界各地的怪味辣椒酱
00:23
from all around the world世界 to insects昆虫
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还是各种昆虫
00:27
that I've captured捕获 and put in jars罐子.
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我都会收集放进瓶子里。
00:29
Now, it's no secret秘密, because I like collecting搜集 things,
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现在你们都知道了,因为我喜欢收集
00:31
that I love the Natural自然 History历史 Museum博物馆
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所以我喜欢自然历史博物馆
00:33
and the collections集合 of animals动物
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还有里面收集到的
00:34
at the Natural自然 History历史 Museum博物馆 in dioramas西洋镜.
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制成立体模型的各种动物。
00:36
These, to me, are like living活的 sculptures雕塑, right,
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这些对我来说就是有着生命的雕像,
00:38
that you can go and look at,
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没错,你可以去看一看,
00:40
and they memorialize纪念 a specific具体 point of time
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他们捕捉下了这些动物
00:41
in this animal's动物 life.
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生命中的某些特定的时刻
00:43
So I was thinking思维 about my own拥有 life,
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所以我就会思考我自己的生活,
00:45
and how I'd like to memorialize纪念 my life, you know,
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想一想我要怎样去记录我的生活,
00:47
for the ages年龄, and also — (Laughter笑声) —
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给未来的人看,同时,——(笑声)——
00:50
the lives生活 of my friends朋友, but
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也记录我朋友的生活,但是
00:52
the problem问题 with this is that my friends朋友 aren't quite相当 keen敏锐
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问题就在于我的朋友都不太热衷于
00:55
on the idea理念 of me taxidermy-ing动物标本-ING them. (Laughter笑声)
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把他们“标本化”这一想法。(笑声)
00:58
So instead代替, I turned转身 to video视频,
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所以其而代之的,我选择录像这个方式,
01:01
and video视频 is the next下一个 best最好 way to preserve保留 and memorialize纪念
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录像是保存和记录人类的另一个最佳选择
01:03
someone有人 and to capture捕获 a specific具体 moment时刻 in time.
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可以及时抓住特定的某一瞬间。
01:06
So what I did was, I filmed拍摄 six of my friends朋友
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所以我所做的,就是拍下我的六个朋友的录像
01:08
and then, using运用 video视频 mapping制图 and video视频 projection投影,
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然后,用全景显示和视频投影,
01:10
I created创建 a video视频 sculpture雕塑, which哪一个 was these six friends朋友
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我做出了一个视频版的雕像,
01:13
projected预计 into jars罐子. (Laughter笑声)
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这就是我放映在瓶中的六个朋友。(笑声)
01:17
So now I have this collection采集 of my friends朋友
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现在我“收集”了这些朋友
01:18
I can take around with me whenever每当 I go,
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我就能带着他们到处走了,
01:20
and this is called Animalia动物界 Chordata脊索动物,
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这就叫“Animalia Chordata”,
01:22
from the Latin拉丁 nomenclature命名法 for
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它是拉丁语,意思就是
01:24
human人的 being存在, classification分类 system系统.
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人类分类系统。
01:26
So this piece memorializesmemorializes my friends朋友 in these jars罐子,
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这件作品将我的朋友们记录在这些瓶子里,
01:29
and they actually其实 move移动 around. (Laughter笑声)
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而且他们可以动来动去的。(笑声)
01:33
So, this is interesting有趣 to me,
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这对我来说挺有趣的,
01:36
but it lacked缺乏 a certain某些 human人的 element元件. (Laughter笑声)
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但还缺少了某些人类的元素。(笑声)
01:39
It's a digital数字 sculpture雕塑, so I wanted to add
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这是个数码雕像,所以
01:41
an interaction相互作用 system系统. So what I did was,
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我增加了一个互动系统。
01:43
I added添加 a proximity接近 sensor传感器, so that when you get close
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我加了一个距离传感器,所以当你接近
01:45
to the people in jars罐子, they react应对 to you in different不同 ways方法.
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这些瓶中人的时候,他们会有不同的反应。
01:47
You know, just like people on the street
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就像你接近
01:49
when you get too close to them.
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大街上的人一样。
01:50
Some people reacted反应 in terror恐怖. (Laughter笑声)
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有些人的反应会显得很恐慌。(笑声)
01:53
Others其他 reacted反应 in asking you for help,
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有些人的反应是请求你的帮助,
01:55
and some people hide隐藏 from you.
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有些人则会躲着你。
01:58
So this was really interesting有趣 to me, this idea理念 of
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这个想法真的很有趣,
02:00
taking服用 video视频 off the screen屏幕 and putting it in real真实 life,
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既能把屏幕上的视频拿下来放到现实生活中,
02:02
and also adding加入 interactivity互动 to sculpture雕塑.
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又能和这些雕像进行互动。
02:04
So over the next下一个 year, I documented记录 40 of my other friends朋友
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到了第二年,我制作了另外40个朋友“标本”
02:09
and trapped被困 them in jars罐子 as well
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然后也把他们“收集”在我的瓶子里
02:10
and created创建 a piece known已知 as Garden花园,
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然后将这件作品取名“花园”,
02:12
which哪一个 is literally按照字面 a garden花园 of humanity人性.
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意指一个集合了不同人性的花园。
02:15
But something about the first piece,
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但我的第一件作品,
02:17
the AnimaliAnimali Chordata脊索动物 piece, kept不停 coming未来 back to me,
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那件“Animali Chordata”,却一直浮现在我眼前,
02:19
this idea理念 of interaction相互作用 with art艺术,
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我不断思考和艺术进行互动这一想法,
02:21
and I really liked喜欢 the idea理念 of people being存在 able能够 to interact相互作用,
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说真的我很喜欢人与艺术之间进行互动这一想法,
02:23
and also being存在 challenged挑战 by interacting互动 with art艺术.
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同时也享受在这过程中所遇到的挑战。
02:25
So I wanted to create创建 a new piece that actually其实
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所以我想要制作另一件作品
02:27
forced被迫 people to come and interact相互作用 with something,
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一件能够促使人们去和别的事物进行互动的作品,
02:29
and the way I did this was actually其实 by projecting突出
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我还是采用投影的方式
02:31
a 1950s housewife家庭主妇 into a blender搅拌机. (Laughter笑声)
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将一个上世纪50年代的家庭主妇放进了搅拌机。(笑声)
02:35
This is a piece called Blend混合, and what it does is
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这件作品叫“搅拌机”,它用暗示的方法
02:37
it actually其实 makes品牌 you implicit含蓄 in the work of art艺术.
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让你参与到这件作品中。
02:39
You may可能 never experience经验 the entire整个 thing yourself你自己.
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你可能从未经历过这种事情。
02:42
You can walk步行 away, you can just watch as this character字符
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你可以走掉,也可以单单看着这个主妇
02:44
stands站立 there in the blender搅拌机 and looks容貌 at you,
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看她站在搅拌机中和你深情对望
02:46
or you can actually其实 choose选择 to interact相互作用 with it.
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又或者你可以选择“调侃”她一下。
02:48
So if you do choose选择 to interact相互作用 with the piece,
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如果你选择了后者,
02:53
and you press the blender搅拌机 button按键, it actually其实 sends发送
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那么你就按下“搅拌”这个按钮,
02:55
this character字符 into this dizzying令人目不暇接 disarray弄乱 of dishevelmentdishevelment.
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它就会将这个主妇搅得天崩地裂,天旋地转,天昏地暗。
02:58
By doing that, you are now part部分 of my piece.
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当你这样做的时候,你就成为了作品的一部分了。
03:02
You, like the people that are trapped被困 in my work
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你就像其他被我困在瓶中的人一样
03:04
— (Blender搅拌机 noises噪音, laughter笑声) —
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——(搅拌机的声音,笑声)——
03:08
have become成为 part部分 of my work as well. (Laughter笑声)
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也都成为我作品的一部分。(笑声)
03:15
(Laughter笑声)
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(笑声)
03:17
(Applause掌声)
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(掌声)
03:20
But, but this seems似乎 a bit unfair不公平, right?
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但,这样好像有点不公平,对吧?
03:23
I put my friends朋友 in jars罐子, I put this character字符,
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我把朋友放进瓶子里,我把这个家庭主妇也放进去,
03:26
this sort分类 of endangered濒危 species种类 character字符 in a blender搅拌机.
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把这种濒临绝种的生物放进搅拌器里。
03:29
But I'd never doneDONE anything about myself.
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但我从来没拿过我自己开刀。
03:31
I'd never really memorialized纪念 myself.
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我从没有记录过自己。
03:32
So I decided决定 to create创建 a piece which哪一个 is a self-portrait自画像 piece.
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所以我决定做一件“自录像”。
03:35
This is sort分类 of a self-portrait自画像 taxidermy动物标本 time capsule胶囊 piece
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这是一件自我标本化的时间胶囊作品
03:37
called A Point Just Passed通过,
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取名为“消逝”
03:39
in which哪一个 I project项目 myself on top最佳 of a time card punch冲床 clock时钟,
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在这件作品里,我把自己投影在打卡考勤钟的上面,
03:42
and it's up to you.
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然后剩下的就需要你来决定了。
03:43
If you want to choose选择 to punch冲床 that punch冲床 card clock时钟,
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如果你选择进行打卡,
03:45
you actually其实 age年龄 me.
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那么实际上你是在让我变老。
03:47
So I start开始 as a baby宝宝, and then if you punch冲床 the clock时钟,
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所以我一开始是婴儿,然后你打了卡,
03:50
you'll你会 actually其实 transform转变 the baby宝宝 into a toddler幼儿,
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你就会把我从婴儿变成一个小孩,
03:54
and then from a toddler幼儿 I'm transformed改造 into a teenager青少年.
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然后从一个小孩又变成一个年轻人。
03:57
From a teenager青少年, I'm transformed改造 into my current当前 self.
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从年轻人,我又变成现在的我。
04:00
From my current当前 self, I'm turned转身 into a middle-aged中年 man,
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从现在的我,又变成中年男子,
04:03
and then, from there, into an elderly老年 man.
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接着,变成一个老年人。
04:07
And if you punch冲床 the punch冲床 card clock时钟 a hundred times
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如果你在一天时间内打卡100次,
04:10
in one day, the piece goes black黑色
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这件作品会变黑
04:13
and is not to be reset重启 until直到 the next下一个 day.
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直到第二天才会恢复初始状态。
04:16
So, in doing so, you're erasing擦除 time.
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所以,这么做,你擦去的是时间。
04:18
You're actually其实 implicit含蓄 in this work
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你实际是隐含在这件作品里面的一部分
04:20
and you're erasing擦除 my life.
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因为你在擦拭我的人生。
04:22
So I like this about interactive互动 video视频 sculpture雕塑,
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我喜欢这种真正能与之互动的
04:24
that you can actually其实 interact相互作用 with it,
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互动型视频雕像,
04:25
that all of you can actually其实 touch触摸 an artwork艺术品
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而且能与之触碰
04:27
and be part部分 of the artwork艺术品 yourselves你自己,
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并亲自参与到作品中来的,
04:29
and hopefully希望, one day, I'll have each and every一切 one of you
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希望有一天,我能将你们所有人都收集起来
04:32
trapped被困 in one of my jars罐子. (Laughter笑声)
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放进我的瓶子里。(笑声)
04:34
Thank you. (Applause掌声)
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谢谢。(掌声)
Translated by Lee Li
Reviewed by Si Xie

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Gabriel Barcia-Colombo - Video sculptor
Gabe Barcia-Colombo creates madcap art inspired both by Renaissance era curiosity cabinets and the modern-day digital chronicling of everyday life. Think: miniature people projected in objects and a DNA Vending Machine.

Why you should listen

Gabe Barcia-Colombo is an American artist who creates installation pieces that both delight and point to the strangeness of our modern, digital world. His latest work is a DNA Vending Machine, which dispenses vials of DNA extracted from friends at dinner parties. He's also created video installations of "miniature people" encased inside ordinary objects like suitcases, blenders and more. His work comments on the act of leaving one's imprint for the next generation. Call it "artwork with consequences."

As he explains it: "While formally implemented by natural history museums and collections (which find their roots in Renaissance-era 'cabinets of curiosity'), this process has grown more pointed and pervasive in the modern-day obsession with personal digital archiving and the corresponding growth of social media culture. My video sculptures play upon this exigency in our culture to chronicle, preserve and wax nostalgic, an idea which I render visually by 'collecting' human beings (alongside cultural archetypes) as scientific specimens. I repurpose everyday objects like blenders, suitcases and cans of Spam into venues for projecting and inserting videos of people."

Barcia-Colombo is an alumnus and instructor at NYU's Interactive Telecommunications Program. Read about his latest work on CoolHunting and in his TED Fellows profile.

More profile about the speaker
Gabriel Barcia-Colombo | Speaker | TED.com