Gonsalves and her team developed software that would seek out visitor’s emotions and then trigger an ’emotionally intelligent and learning’ computer system to playback video portraits in response:

“In Chameleon, individuals become intimately connected and implicated into varying emotionally provocative and reflexive social interactions leaving them with a better understanding of how their own non-verbal communications have an impact in social groups.” Tina Gonsalves

In this exhibition of ever changing portraits, the emotional expressions of the visitors had a direct effect on the tone and emotional state of the gallery space itself. Gonsalves worked to highlight how often we attempt to make sense of each other and how we search for meaning and significance in expressions, dialogue and body language. By collaborating with a team of leading neuroscientists, affective computer scientists, emotional designers and curators, Gonsalves was able to further explore the intersections of art, technology and science.

The Chameleon Project
The Chameleon project has developed the understanding of emotional contagion from a variety of viewpoints during the course of its multiple iterations. It has involved a dynamic team of artists, scientists, designers and engineers in new research and engaged a broad range of participants in forming the video content and evaluating its effectiveness.

Chameleon is typical of Tina Gonsalves’ research-based approach to her practice, locating it in the intersection of art, everyday life, technology and science and integrating the development of her work within the residential programmes of leading artistic and academic institutions around the world.