«See You»

Lab

Two oversized eyes appear in the pavilion windows. They follow you as you pass by. They blink. They get tired or curious. They react to every movement.

Something between encounter and surveillance.
Between «Finally, someone sees me!» and «What does this thing know about me?»

Do you want to be seen?

We post stories so someone will look. We walk through the city hoping to be noticed. We crave attention, recognition, a moment of connection.

At the same time, we know: cameras everywhere. Algorithms analyzing how we walk, what we buy, where we stop. We're constantly observed – yet still feel invisible.

«See You» makes this ambivalence visible.

The pavilion becomes a counterpart. It perceives you. But what does that mean? Is it attention or control? Encounter or data collection? Playful or unsettling?

The answer lies in how you feel when the eyes look at you.

How it works

Alone:
An attentive, almost tender gaze follows you. The eyes accompany your path, blink, become curious. You are seen.

In pairs:
The pavilion squints. Each eye fixates on a different person. Divided attention. Who gets more? The installation can't decide.

In groups:
Total overload. The eyes jump frantically back and forth, become nervous, irritated. Too many faces. Too many stories. The system collapses, just like we do when too much comes at us.

At night:
After dusk, the installation reveals its full impact. The illuminated eyes gaze from wintry Biel into the night. The window panes become screens and mirrors at once, digital gazes meet analog reflections of the city.

Post-Camera Surveillance

«See You» uses no cameras. No video. No facial recognition. No data storage.

Instead: LIDAR technology, a laser scanner that only detects movement and position. People become anonymous points in space. The installation doesn't know who you are. It only knows that you're there.

A form of surveillance that doesn't identify. A gaze that stores nothing. An attention that stays in the moment.

Technical Details

Hardware:

LIDAR sensor: RPLiDAR S2E (905nm infrared laser)
Samsung Professional Displays (43")
Detection range: up to 30m
Scan rate: 32,000 measurements/second

Software:

Real-time processing in TouchDesigner
Person detection & clustering
Adaptive behavioral modes based on number and movement of people
Smooth eye movement interpolation

Interaction principle:
The system detects position and movement of people, classifies the situation (1 person / 2 people / 3+ people) and reacts with different gaze behaviors – from focused and attentive to overwhelmed and nervous.

Credits

«See You» — An installation by Cyril Gfeller

Concept, code, realization: Cyril Gfeller
Supported by: the Town of Biel Bienne & Artspace Juraplatz, Biel/Bienne

January 23 – February 12, 2026
Artspace Juraplatz, Juravorstadt 2A, 2502 Biel/Bienne