I see you
2022
Found toy (mohair, glass, lambs wool, wood shavings), electronics, facial recognition camera, pine, motor.
40cm x 30cm x 20cm
I see you facilitates contact between toy bear and human. As you approach the bear, it suddenly jolts to life to return your gaze. Its eyes fix upon you, its head turning in watchfulness.
The vintage bear’s patina, marked by worn mohair fur and multiple sites of repair, shows signs of its multi-generational cute-care labour. Through artificial intelligence, this care is amplified to include uncanny watchfulness. A facial recognition camera trained with machine learning is fixed to the bear’s chest. The camera monitors for and locks onto human faces. This data powers a motor that has replaced the traditional cotter joint pin in its neck to facilitate the head’s movement. As a techno-zoomorphic hybrid, the old world of teddy making converges with new technology.