DAVE-LOOKINGOUTWARDS-1
1.
The “Unnamed Soundsculpture” piece is made by the studio Onformative, which is comprised of Cedric Kiefer and Julia Laub. The piece is a recording of a chorographic dance, represented as a set of data points reminiscent of sands, which freezes some motions of the dancer and then fall down with gravity as the dancer continues on forward. This represents a form of rebellion against modern technology to me, as the dancer is fighting against the ever falling data to express herself in an individualistic and powerful manner. In the end, the constant flow of information drags her down into nothingness, signifying the strength of technology upon our lives. Besides the implications this piece had on me, I was also deeply impressed by the technical details, as I have not thought of data visualization being able to be used in such a manner. My only problem with the piece is that it is a bit long; even 70% of the content would make me feel and think the same way. Similar data visualization technique is used in the music video of Radiohead’s “House of Cards”, but this piece is more active which I feel is superior.
2.
Genesis is a short film made by Andreas Wannerstedt. We enter a facility in the snow, where we are presented some advanced technologies, which then proceeds to create a mini big bang, producing a universe, and finally presenting us a mini planet. I initially thought not too hard about the meaning of the piece, for the only aspects which caught my attention were the technical details, but the true message is presented as a newspaper article in the end: “Create a mini world; become a mini God”. I have been struck by a theme I did not predict. The creation of a mini world and becoming a mini god is similar to the short film The Gloaming (Le Crépuscule) by Nobrain. However, The Gloaming is a critique on society while Genesis is a critique on technology.
3.
Metamorphosis generates the growth of branches and butterflies based on an algorithm written in Processing. The growth of the tree branches is absolutely gorgeous. It looks more organic than reality. The patterns generated by the algorithm are really well done. The color choices stick out also; the orange flame-like cloud behind the branches make stark and beautiful contrast. However, I feel the existence of the butterflies served no purpose. Because they lack animation (ex: wings flapping), they take away from the organic feeling the growing branches conveyed to me. Their movements are also erratic at times also, making me feel like they are just funky decorations. I feel if they flew out from the trees instead of being attached to them, I would be happier. The vector art style of the branches and their growth reminds me of the indie game Pixiejunk Eden, but the overall feeling is different as Metamorphosis is not a game and not interactive.