Inspired by classic racing video games such as F-Zero, Excitebike, R.C. Pro-Am, Super Mario Kart, Super Off Road and others, Excite Bikes adds another dimension to the classic video game experience by mapping game elements onto an IRL race course. As cyclists ride over interactive, video game-inspired graphics, they activate new visual and aural states that are seen and heard by riders and spectators alike.
Excite Bikes follows Light Bikes, a previous interactive installation also commissioned by the Red Hook Crit.
Excite Bikes was created for the 2015 edition of the Red Hook Crit, which took place on Saturday, April 25, 2015. It is created with custom software written by the artist built on OpenFrameworks. It consists of three interactive “racetime” graphics projected onto the race course. The installation is played with a Nintendo controller.