Every building holds stories beyond those recorded in archives. They are written instead through countless everyday encounters: footsteps, pauses, conversations, and the quiet movements of people passing through its spaces. Over time, these fleeting moments become part of the building itself.
One of the richest records of this hidden history is found in the marks left behind. The worn paths on a staircase, the subtle traces of repeated movement, and the almost invisible evidence of human presence reveal patterns that no single individual intended to create. Together, these accumulated imprints tell an evolving story of the people who have inhabited this place. This installation transforms those passing moments into a living artwork.
The LED wall captures anonymised data generated by visitors as they move through the building, creating a composition that is entirely unique each day. While algorithmic in its operation, the work is shaped not by artificial intelligence or pre-determined mathematical systems alone, but by the collective presence of the building’s occupants. As you contribute to the work, you’ve become an unwitting co-author of its continually changing form.
Dave Bowes, who also works under the name Great Snakes AV, is a Scottish mixed-media artist. His practice explores consciousness, presence, memory and the hidden traces we leave behind. Central to his work is the creation of generative systems that combine the structured logic of computation with a more intuitive, human-centred artistic process. It is within the dialogue between these two approaches that his artworks emerge.
Co-commissioned by Aberdeen Performing Arts and New Media Scotland’s Alt-w Fund with investment from Creative Scotland and the University of Edinburgh.
