The city model at night, illuminated and animated by passersby’s movements.
Interactive storefront
Temporary installation for coworking space
The Project
Every year, my coworking space L’Antenne ➚ launches an original project to showcase its workshop and spark the curiosity of passersby. In 2025, the chosen theme was the apocalypse. The display window was transformed into an experimental playground combining digital fabrication, interactive art, and technology.
Outside, people passing by could see a giant monster “devastating” a cardboard city. When they stopped and made a hand gesture, the monster reacted with one of the programmed animations. Loved by children, the window quickly became covered in handprints.
Technical Side
Developed by Google, MediaPipe detects hand gestures via webcam. When one of the supported gestures (👍, 👎, ✌️, ☝️, ✊, 👋, or 🤟) was recognized, a 3D monster, animated using the Three.js library, reacted immediately.
The webcam video is displayed at the top of the screen, with an overlay showing the detected gestures. Lines and contours drawn on the hand indicate its position and the movement recognized in real time.
Example of an animation showing the monster reacting to a gesture detected in real time by passersby.
The 3D model and monster animations are freely available online here: “Cry Wolf” on CGTrader ➚.
LEDs placed inside the buildings continuously emitted a glow resembling a TV static flow and were controlled by a Raspberry Pi via a script written in Python.
The whole system ran on a simple local computer tower, making the installation autonomous and stable.
Collaborative Aspect
Each team member contributed to bringing the display window to life in their own way, adding their expertise in physical design, graphic design, or photography.
The physical design of the showcase was created and staged by Simon César Forclaz. As a backdrop, he built and illuminated a miniature city made of recycled cardboard, cut with a laser.
Humorous posters were created by my colleague and graphic designer Vincent Berclaz ➚. They adopted an authoritative style, with slogans like “Evacuate the city, every man for himself” and a “Wanted” notice for a Fisher Price toy, adding a quirky and surprising touch to the installation. He also contributed to several other graphic elements of the project.
Some posters made by Vincent as part of the project.
Photographer Willy Studio ➚ documented the window through the images presented on this page. To enhance the apocalyptic urban atmosphere, he also included a cosplay photo inspired by the Cyberpunk 2077 universe, reinforcing the urban and futuristic character of the project.
, in a Cyberpunk 2077-inspired universe.](/_astro/interactive-storefront-details.CbdIpIZD_3wi51.webp)
Detail shots and photography by Willy Studio, featuring lady.angie ➚, in a Cyberpunk 2077-inspired universe.
After the Installation
Even though the installation no longer exists today, it continues to live on in memories. Children still pass by the coworking space and ask: “Where did the monster go?”
This is precisely the goal of these annual projects: to generate buzz for the workshop, create connections with the neighborhood, and show that technology can also be a playground for creativity.
Discover how the monster reacts to your gestures by clicking here: