LO 6 – Randomness in Computational Art

Randomness in Time

Daniel Kim (2015)

Daniel Kim’s Randomness in Time is a featured project from RISD’s spring Coding Architecture course taught by Carl Lostritto. The artwork has an array of random numbers on the left side along with a spider web of randomly interconnected lines on the right side. Kim explains that the project examines “data from the running time of a particular algorithm.” This running time data is then stored, placed in a list, then evaluated. As the algorithm continues to run, the values deviate further and further away from the initial starting point, thereby creating more randomness and unpredictability. I found this piece particularly interesting because the idea of using an algorithm to create randomness seems paradoxical, and begs the question if the values generated can truly be considered “random.” It also makes me wonder if it is possible to  create truly “random” computational art; it seems as if there always needs to be a set of rules, restrictions, algorithms, etc. to create the starting foundation for the piece.