In this interactive projection fluidum 2, the shadows of the visitors paint abstract fractal clouds onto a large screen. The colorful clouds are algorithmically generated in real-time and resemble natural phenomena like flames, flowing lava, smoke or corals.
The images consist of digital video feedback combined with a fluid simulation and fractal mathematics. The sound is generated live by granular synthesis. The wind noise uses the same family of fractals as the projected image.
technique
It took me about ten years to figure out an approach to this kind of fractal painting. After this, I needed three more months to program and setup everything. The work consists of a combination of several algorithms that I had learned over the years. They can be seen in the following picture:
- top left
The person is captured by a camera at the projector position. In this installation, the person steps into the projector beam and casts a shadow. - top center
Calculation of the so-called optical flow determines which portions of the person move where in the camera image. - top right
These movements are fed into a wind simulation. In this picture, particles flow with the wind to visualize this. - bottom left
This is one of the fractals used that generates complex, seemingly natural forms by repeating simple instructions many times. - bottom center
A simulated video feedback with a special color technique lets the installation develop slowly. - bottom right
Setting all pieces of this puzzle together creates the image of the final installation.
stills
The color gamut pushes conventional projectors and cameras to their limits and is very hard to document.
sketch
First sketch of the installation | February 2017