Lightdrop Encounters
Lightdrop Encounters is an interactive exhibit that features brightly colored felt sculptures of an organic and playful shape by Anna Kristina Goransson, brought to life in an immersive audio-visual environment by Rob Gonsalves.
Dimensions: 7 ft 6 inch x ft x 2 ft
Materials: Felt, servo motors, computer with custom software, Kinect interface, projector, speakers
Showings:
From Paper to Pixels in Boston, Suffolk University Art Gallery, Boston, MA, Nov 18, 2013 to Jan 17, 2014
From Paper to Pixels in Jamaica Plain, Infrared5, Boston, MA, Sep 21 to Sep 22, 2013
The seven Lightdrops interact with visitors, exhibiting four behaviors: sleeping, chattering, observing, and dancing. The Lightdrops, with their orange faces and long, white tails, are suspended from the ceiling and articulated using fishing lines and servo motors. A computer rigged with a Microsoft Kinect interface monitors human visitors' motion and controls the Lightdrops' movement. A video projection of 40 virtual Lightdrops and a real-time soundscape heighten the interaction.
With their installation, Goransson and Gonsalves combine traditional sculpture with interactive media to create a unique and engaging encounter with a flock of other-worldly creatures, bringing a renewed sense of discovery and wonderment.
Lightdrop Encounters uses OpenFrameworks, an open-source C++ library for creative coding.