The Falling City

The Falling City explores how emotional expression is shaped or suppressed by urban environments by measuring the levels of affective display in public space. The installation uses computer vision to detect actions such as holding hands, hugging, or kissing. Each gesture activates a unique hand-blown glass lamp suspended from the ceiling, emitting colored light—blue, green, or pink—whose intensity reflects the emotional charge of the moment. An Emotional Counter displays the total accumulated seconds of affection detected by the system, visualized through illuminated numerical blocks. The project merges technology, craft, and urban research to reflect on the visibility of emotions in contemporary cities. Audiences are invited to consider how social structures shape our intimacy in the public space.
No images are stored, and no facial recognition or any other kind of invasive technologies are used.