Looking Outwards 06: Randomness

The piece I have chosen to write about this week is Zauberflöte by Michael Hansmeyer. Hansmeyer is a computational architect, and the series of structures he designed as Zauberflöte were created as the set for the 2018 production of Mozart’s Magic Flute, directed by Romoeo Castellucci. Using generative design, Hansmeyer was able to explore and play around with countless design possibilities as he created the pieces. I love the grander of the designs, especially in contrast with the extremely simple greyscale color theme that covers the entire stage area. As said by the artist, “the design process strikes a balance between the expected and the unexpected” because although the process is deterministic, the outcome is unknown and impossible to imagine. I have no idea how the algorithm for these pieces work, but the visual result is very reminiscent of other types of computed art due to the symmetry, repetition of patterns, and extremely clean lines.

Zauberflöte, 2018
Michael Hansmeyer