OCUBO
Human Tiles

OCUBO is an international studio based in Portugal, consisting of the Portuguese Nuño Maya and the Belgian Carole Purnelle. Since 2003, they have been staging elaborate works of light art and light events all over the world. Using a mixture of light and technology, OCUBO creates urban, artistic landscapes, immersive video mappings and reality-changing, virtual spaces. The artists use monuments, buildings, floors and sometimes even water, and sometimes also involve performers and dancers in their projects of imaginative worlds.

Interactivity is at the centre of OCUBO projects, especially those in its so-called OLAB category. The audience becomes an active part of the lighting experiences designed with the latest technology. OCUBO is also presenting a work of this kind as part of the Water Light Festival 2024: Human Tiles is an interactive installation in real time in which the audience plays the leading role. A graphic pattern reminiscent of the typical Portuguese "azulejos" - traditional, varied and colourful tiles - appears on the facade of the Brixen municipal library. The special feature of the constantly changing pattern is that passers-by can influence it with the colours of their clothing and interact with the projection.

The artwork therefore not only becomes an interesting event for everyone who encounters it. It also emphasises how a playful approach to other cultures and their traditions can generate curiosity and enjoyment. It also places people at the centre of a high-tech process, overcoming the boundary between the idea of man and machine.