The Opto-Isolator asks the question: “What if art could view us?” This strange installation was on display at the Bitforms Gallery in NYC stirring all kinds of emotions as it mimicked the human eye. It’ll focus on any one person staring at it for too long. In addition, it’ll follow the person viewing it as well as blink along to their blinks.

The creators, Golan Levin and Greg Baltus, must’ve lost many nights of sleep working on this because I can’t imagine having this thing staring at me while it’s guts are laying all over a work bench. This device kind of reminds me of the gatekeeper droid that guarded the entrance to Jabba’s palace in Return of the Jedi. I wonder if the Opto-Isolator could be my personal gatekeeper to make sure no solicitors enter my house.

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The picture above is Microsoft’s new fortress of solitude for Bill Gates. Just kidding, it’s actually a fire station in Mexico City. It was designed by the companies At 103 and BGP Arquitectura.  It’s not much of a looker during the day but at night, light shines through the slits in between the chrome-like plates for an impressive light show you’re guaranteed not to find at any other fire station.

Why such a fancy fire station? Well, it also serves as a recruiting center. As such, you’ve got to have an appealing environment if you want to attract heat-craving lifesavers that are not only crazy enough to wear a fire hose, but also crazy enough to take a job that’s about as dangerous as it gets.

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