The Heart, a new large-scale permanent art installation that responds to the pulse of the Melbourne Connect community, was officially launched today. The site-responsive and data-driven artwork in the foyer of Melbourne Connect combines custom hardware and artificial intelligence elements to represent the sensations of the building.
Conceptualised by artist Dr Robert Walton from The University of Melbourne, The Heart takes the form of a volume of brass droppers, reconstituted brick fragments, and LEDs in the shape of a giant human heart. Drawing inspiration from its past as the Royal Women’s Hospital and the donated hearts in the University’s collection used for medical research, this unique artwork is connected to the building’s multiple sensors that monitor humidity, temperature, movement, light, and more to stage the ebbs and flows of the building.