JohnChoi-LookingOutwards-2
One project that I admire is Petting Zoo by Minimaforms studio. This project is basically a a set of three glowing robotic tentacles that hang from the ceiling and act as robotic life forms that intelligently respond to nearby human presence. It appears to have a Kinect-like device stationed from a hidden area that sees humans, whom the robotic tentacles can “look at” and play with. I admire this project because it demonstrates state of the art technology being used to push the envelope on artificial life and what it means to be alive. While I admire this project for what it is, I think this project could go further in a variety of ways, particularly by introducing more artificial “lifeforms,” each of which interact and play with humans in their own unique ways.
One project that surprised me is Magnetosphere by flight404 in 2007. While I have used Processing for some simple 3D graphics before, the level at which Magnetosphere demonstrates the power of Processing is astounding to me. It was as though the universe itself was recreated on the spot in real time from a blown out perspective. It is beautiful to look at, and the level of awe and immersion could only increase as one stared at longer and longer. I have only one qualm about it however – the patterns can get somewhat repetitive, and while the degree of randommess that occurs while times passes is certainly there, it does not appear to affect the grand scheme of the piece. Despite this, I really do like Magnetosphere.
One project that I believe missed an opportunity is Processing Tech Support by Jonah Brucker-Cohen. According to the description provided, this work is a satire on modern technical support and how it would evolve over the course of several decades. The funny thing is that, the artwork itself does not play on any of my browsers. It is ironic that a piece criticising the nature of tech support would fall victim to needing the very thing it is condemning. While this is forgivable given the current state of Java and the fact that many browsers do not allow Java apps to run (including a many artworks created with Processing), this piece misses an oppotunity to reflect upon itself and further the irony in and out of itself.
Link: http://processing.org/exhibition/works/techsupport/index_link.html