Oscillating Windows, by Katherine Moriwaki, is an application for close-proximity network communication that uses physical co-location, proximity, and group interaction to move a digital image from one location to another.

The system consists of two “windows” on either side of a room. While the room is empty, the image remains on one side. As individuals equipped with an ads hoc networking device enter the room, the window oscillates to the other side through the network created by the participants, provided certain formations are realized. Participants “play act” as nodes of a network which will only form when people arrange themselves in certain body configurations.

During an Oscillating Windows workshop, interesting behaviours emerged, as some people would choose to aid or obstruct the pathway of data, making themselves physically accessible or inaccessible.

Oscillating Windows provides an opportunity to exploit the natural formations and patterns of individuals and groups in social and public space.