XYZZY
Xyzzy
2023, CLTShout Festival
Charlotte, NC, USA
A tribute to the imaginative freedom of the digital frontier, Xyzzy (pronounced ziz-zie) was an interactive experience that invited audiences to engage with their inner sense of childlike wonder and curiosity. Echoing the ornate detail of classical Faberge Eggs and styled as an arcade machine, Xyzzy was inspired by a cheat code from one of the earliest interactive adventure games. Playing off the easter eggs of video games, Xyzzy captured some of Charlotte’s own hidden gems under its honeycomb matrix.
Constructed for CLTShout 2023, Xyzzy featured 84 buttons, 78 unique Charlotte Icons, and over 5,000 addressable LEDs. During the Festival, Xyzzy was on display at The Green for two weeks in early April, where it survived the natural elements, thousands of visitors, and a close encounter with a weedwhacker. After CLTShout, Xyzzy was moved to The Market at 7th Street and remained on display for the public until 2024.
Xyzzy at night
Featuring over 80 buttons, Xyzzy brought a unique level of interactivity to CLTShout
Dozens of unique colors and patterns created a wide variety of dynamic experiences
Dozens of unique colors and patterns created a wide variety of dynamic experiences
Xyzzy was designed to survive outdoors during the rainy spring season.
After CLTShout, Xyzzy was relocated to The Markets at 7th Street from May to December of 2023.
The combination of faceted reflectors and addressable LEDs created psychedelic bursts of color
Designed as a modular system, Xyzzy consisted of six glowing panels, suspended over the provided fiberglass egg.