A group field trip to Mercer Labs was organized. I had been there once before, about two weeks ago. Mercer Labs, a museum of art and technology, seems like an ideal destination for ITP students. During my visit a couple of weeks ago, I spent two hours there and found it quite impressive. It was a quiet Friday afternoon, and the place was nearly empty, in contrast to our group visit, which was crowded.

The first room, featuring a large interior projection mapping, made me stop, observe, and wonder. The sound system is excellent, and the graphics are intriguing, though I didn't find much logic in the scene. It feels more like a showcase of rendering and simulation techniques, but it's still well executed. The resolution is not ideal when viewed up close. I believe the equipment is top-notch, suggesting great potential for this venue. This is also an advantage of digital works – the ease of plugging in and projecting. Imagine if this were a physical installation; the labor required for theme updates would be immense.

The second room, with its 4D sound, is personally appealing to me because of its incorporation of scent. I sat on the floor, closed my eyes for about 25 minutes, and thoroughly enjoyed the sound, vibration, humidity change, and scents. It was a deeply engaging experience.

The LED screen room, which played an ocean scene, is remarkable — the tastefully installed mirrors create an illusion of infinite space.

The room with LED stripes is fantastic. I see immense potential in programming various 3D graphics. This felt very futuristic to me, as it was my first time seeing an installation of this kind and scale. The mirrors here also play a crucial role.

The flower room is average, not particularly impressive, although the flowers are well-crafted.

Then there's a long staircase and an unfurnished fire exit path leading to the first floor — this area could be improved. However, I understand the challenges posed by New York City's building code and space constraints.

The rooms on the first floor are smaller and more scattered. I am particularly fond of the pneumatic tubes and the robotic arms. The former is well-constructed, and I'm still curious about how the pills move through the tubes, while the latter represents a fusion of art and cutting-edge technology.

The shop area has some excellent collections. The concrete stationary collection by 22 Studio is amazing.

Overall, I think Mercer Labs is a great place to visit, especially for those outside this field. For professionals in the field, some rooms might be less impressive, but there are certainly elements from which we can learn.