In 2003 the Los Angeles-based artist Tony Quan aka Tempt One was diagnosed with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis).
ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is one of several neurological degenerative diseases that may affect the human body and rapidly progresses throughout all systems. In some cases, the brain loses its ability to control all muscles, resulting in the progressive inability to physically move about or function various parts of the body. The disease may or may not have a known causal factor and may not even have a medical cure.
Often times the disease is fatal within a period of time. Assistance, relief, and comfort is all relative dependent on the symptoms, progress of the disease, and therapies provided.

But Tony Quan’s fate has neither touched his sharp mind and creative energy, nor his passion for graffiti. So in early 2009 artists, engineers and programmers from London, Hong Kong, Madrid, Amsterdam and New York City teamed up with Tony Quan to develop the EYEWRITER – a low-cost, open-source eyetracking-based graphics tool that enables people suffering from paralysis to draw with their eyes. The technology and DIY instructions will be available for free on the internet.
During Black River Festival the Eyewriter-technology will be presented in public space for the first time in Europe.