Connor McGaffin – Looking Outwards -01

The “wavegrower” Project

I am inspired by this body of work because of it’s ability to successfully use incredibly artificial means to create such a natural environment. As a student studying environments design, I am in awe of his ability to generate something so manmade and yet so organic.

Surfer’s Dream: we’re brought right into the heart of the the perfect barrel. (source)

I think the project is interesting in that the animations move the viewer through the space, almost in a trance-like manner. However, I wonder how a project like this would feel if the viewer were able to navigate the space in their free will, whether it be through the use of a keyboard or the use of virtual reality. Building off of this, I would love to see how this could be integrated into a physical space, be it with intricate LED lights or through immersive and interactive projections.

Vayssouze-Faure’s prior work focuses on the visualization of sound, specifically in regards to the vibration emitted by guitars. When questioned about his influences, the artist references the awe-inspiring power of nature and the attempt to make sense of it mathematically.

Ean Grady-Looking Outwards-01

https://www.wired.com/2014/07/a-clever-device-that-turns-polluted-air-into-art/

This is a slightly older project I remember reading about a couple of years ago. Dmitry Morozov lives in Moscow and uses air pollution to make glitch art. Morozov created a small portable blue-tooth device, with an attached fake nose, that ‘sniffs’ out air pollution and transforms air data from vehicular gasses into the various shapes and colour that make up his glitch art. In creating the technology, Morozov used various sensors that detected certain gaseous elements in the environment and unified them with a ‘nose’, so to my knowledge, the artist used “off-the-shelf” commercial software. Each image that is produced from the device can be essentially viewed as an artistic grading system for air quality. It would be interesting to see how the artwork produced today using the device would compare to that of 10 years or so in the future.

I found this piece of technological art particularly inspiring because it shows that there is no end to the possibilities that come through the arrangement of art and computational technology. If someone can transform air pollution into visually appealing art using technology, I wonder what other ‘regular’ things that exist out in the world can be used to make art.

The video below shows Morozov’s device in-action.

Christine Chen- Looking Outwards-01

Above provides a quick glance of one of teamLab’s exhibitions in Tokyo
Source: Creators-TeamLab; Exhibition-TeamLab Planets TOKYO https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UDi_2C04UY

TeamLab is a Japanese design and software collective. The group consists of small group of around 30 various professionals, such as programmers, architects, engineers, artists, etc., from different fields who collaborate with each other to create forms that join art, science, nature, and technology together. Creating the project required the group to write computer programs for digital creation and software applications that simulates forms of natures, such as waves. These digital creations are also interactive and reacts to people’s movements. The creators were motivated to create forms that go beyond the boundaries that divides up the nature and the artificial. Through this, they created a successful “first word art.”

What fascinates me most is how well teamLab portrays a “borderless world.” They show how digital forms dissolve the lines between technology and nature. Another boundary that was removed was the one between the artwork and the audiences as the installation pieces were interactive. While I was at the exhibition, I was astonished at how the simulated sounds, visual forms, and interactions made me feel as if I was standing among a natural environment. In there, nature and technology merged into one through the world created with teamLab’s creative output and exist harmoniously with each other.

Looking Outwards-01 Intr(e)Scapes light art exhibition-Veronica Wang

Intr(ə)Scapes @ Georgetown GLOW 2015 from SHO Architecture on Vimeo.

The Interscapes project is a landscape installation piece that senses people’s movement with an infrared sensor and signals the RGB LED system to react to visitors’ movements with a responsive lighting animation. The acrylic stalks mimic the movement and light-weightedness of swaying prairie grasses and embody “the kinetic energies and latent forces present within the environment”. I found it interesting how this piece was inspired by nature and is bridging technology with nature by mimicking/ recreating experiences. The responsive lighting also provides a playful, tangible and sensorial effect.

The team that designed this piece does a lot of interactive new media installations and parametric architectural design. On this project, they used custom software and hardware to achieve the infrared imaging system and responsive effect. They have previously designed similar installations at both the ACADIA exhibition and Harvard University.

Kai Zhang-Looking Outwards-01

An Interactive Respond in the Physical Form – Building Kinetics

Project: Cafe-restaurant OPEN, Amsterdam

Architect: de Architedkten Cie

Year of Built: 2006

As an architecture student with technological enthusiasm. I’ve been seeking out when buildings, while usually being static, are able to react and respond to its environments. And one of the most signitured projects is the Cafe-restaurant OPEN building designed by CIE in Amsterdam. Though the number of people who worked on this project is not specified officially, something of this scale usually consists of a team of fewer than five people. However, the actual construction members certainly would reach beyond two figures.

This project took them over an year to finish, which is not too long for an architecture project. The main features of the installment is the pivoltal window panels that are controled by electric motors. However, it’s reasonable to make the assumption that the operating terminal is programed in analog transimission rather than digital, as the actual usage of the feature wouldn’t require very sophisticated I/O exchanges. Nevertheless, the designing of the prototypes will require some digital design tools. A very common one in the field is Rhinoceros with Grasshopper plug-in. It used programmable components to create building part simulations that act as expected, which will shorten the time for not having to create physical representations that does the same thing.

Though the interacting process is rather simple, it’s of a great significant importance for the practice of architecture to incorporate interactive ‘devices’. There are a handfull of kinetic precedents that would’ve inspired the creator of this project. Most of them had thinkings toward the active building components that can adapt its spatial and micro-climate conditions to the environmental changes. It’s adopted as both an expressive architectural language as well as a functional approach.

Cafe-restaurant OPEN, Amsterdam / by de Architekten Cie.

Looking Outwards rrandell01

This is a link to new media artist Angela Washko’s video trailer about her interactive art piece called The Game: The Game in which the viewer essentially plays a dating simulation video game.

This piece is a culmination of over three years of research on ‘dating coaches’ or ‘pick-up artists’ and vastly explores the world of female exploitation, sexism, and misogyny through an interactive video game. It is unclear what software Angela Washko used in creating this interactive program, but this piece is not just the program, it also included a physical exhibition in New York City. Angela Washko was inspired by a series of books by author Roosh V in which he instructs men on how to pursue sex with women. This project explores a future in which women can rebel against unwanted male attention and have more agency in a virtual world. I feel that this project is incredibly interesting and complex as it delves deep into controversial topics but explains them well with an accessible platform for all to understand the purpose of the project.

Austin Treu-LookingOutwards-01

I am fascinated by Elon Musk’s work with his teams at both SpaceX and Tesla, particularly the work of incorporating Autopilot into Tesla cars. The design of the car has to be perfectly optimized and armed with enough sensors so that the passengers and others around the car are safe. While it is still a work in progress, just the fact that the car has the ability to make such calculated decisions while driving is incredible. The future with this sort of technology is wide open. As it improves, people will gradually be able to take their focus off of the road and use their time during travel to work or relax, really the possibilities are endless! Another interesting design element of Tesla cars is their battery pack and motors being located underneath the car, meaning that the passengers can have more space inside the car for themselves and their belongings. Every bit of software and hardware involved in these cars is built by Tesla from the ground up, to my knowledge.

Kyle Leve-Looking Outwards-01

An interactive project that I had discovered that inspires me is the works by Front Pictures. I find their work very interesting because it combines technology, music, and the human body to tell a story and create a performance. Every effect that is in all their performances seems to need a specific script timed perfectly to create the desired effect that corresponds with the music and characters. In addition, all the visual effects need to be programmed in a way that reflects the objects that are shown. It appears that there are only around 5-10 people in the group that focus on the effects, music, choreography, and overall story which makes what they do even more impressive. What I really admire about this project is that although there have been similar things to this in past, nothing is the same as what Front Pictures displays. This project points to an age where technology can be implemented in new ways to create live performances that tell unique stories in new and innovative ways.

Front Pictures performance.

Eunice Choe – Looking Outwards-01

An interactive art installation that interested me was Petting Zoo by the architecture and design firm Minimaforms. This installation mimics the lifelike interactions animals have with humans through tubelike robots that hang from the ceiling. These robots have several sensors that can detect sounds, gestures, and touch that can encourage the robots to learn behaviors and personalities that evolve over time. For instance, the more a human interacts with the animal robot, the more it can become attached to the human.

I admire this project because I find it fascinating how the designers were able to capture complex human and animal emotions through artificial intelligence and robots. However, I find the idea of robots being able to evolve and develop emotions unnerving, and it makes me question the interactions humans and robots may have in the future. This installation was developed over several years by the two cofounders of Minimaforms, three designers, and eleven assistants. The designers utilized Kinect sensors to detect multiple people within the environment. In addition, the designers used Processing, which is a language that can make the robots coordinate with one another and allow for interactions with multiple people. Petting Zoo was inspired by The Senster by Edward Ihnatowicz, which was the first robotic sculpture. The designers also pulled inspiration from the work of Gordon Pask and Walter Grey Walter. This project’s ability to empathize with humans and animals show the potential of their interactions in the future. This project is one example of the development of artificial intelligence and how it contributes to creating a more futuristic society.

Yoo Jin Shin-LookingOutwards-01

Piano Stairs

How can we promote more people to be healthy and opt for the stairs, as opposed to less active modes like the escalator? To tackle such problems, Wolkswagen started an initiative called “The Fun Theory” in 2009, focused on nudging people’s behaviors for the better by making the activity irresistibly fun.

One of their projects, the Piano Stairs, is aimed at the question posed above. A team installed the piano stairs overnight in the Odenplan subway in Stockholm, Sweden using sensors and sound actuators. Not only is the stairwell visually appealing, but it also functions like an oversized piano! Each level of stairs corresponds to a note on the piano and it plays as someone steps on a key. In fact, “through the interactive steps the staircase successfully persuaded and motivated 66% more people to use the stairs instead of the escalator throughout the day.”

I think it’s fascinating that making such a small change in the interaction can influence some people to triumph over their laziness and tendency for convenience. It would be interesting to see other installations using this approach to promote a healthier lifestyle, and observe whether these changes can have longterm, lasting effects in the users.

To see the Piano Stairs in action, click here.