NOVUS NULLA;
as above so below.
Together with two friends and classmates we made an interactive installation for the Fontys Exposition “Metaverse” which was part of the Dutch Design Week 2022. The project took half a year to develop and was one prime example of “bloed, zweet en tranen”, but non the less extremely rewarding. Seeing people react to the artwork and play with the interactive animations during DDW 2022 was a dream come true.
The artwork consisted out of one infinity room where two interactive animations were visible. The idea of the project was to create a new “metaverse” with no information from outside but only your personal live data. To create a personal metaverse only for the people being inside. The mirrors gave the effect of endlessness, the so called “personal world” did not have any boundaries.
CONCEPT
We live in a world in which ideas, rules, and cultures have been established. A world filled with expectations, in which we romanticize human activities. To summon it up; You don’t have a choice, this world has already been shaped by the time you were born. This applies to the digital world as well. In this fully digital world, socialising has become more accessible than ever before and entertainment can be found wherever. However, this constant gush of information we receive, will also trail us whenever we are online. Especially in this current age, where we are mostly present online. Newly received information keeps us updated whenever we decide to look at our screens. While it has it’s perks, getting bombarded with expectations, ideal situations, standards, and values, we tend to lose ourselves.
From the moment we decide to shut down all our digital connections, and distance ourselves from our screens, do we find peace of mind, limiting only ourselves as company? Or will the ‘silence’ scare us? Will it cause us to be uncomfortable in the offline world? Is there a way to shut off the gush of information created to hold our attention, whilst being fully present in the digital world? If there was a digital world that only exists because of your presence, your own personal world that was created through your own volition. No standards, no expectations, no information from outside, only you and your digital space. Would you find contentment?
HOW IT WORKS
Novus Nulla consist out of two projections: one of which is an animation with moving particles projected onto the mirror, the other one is an animated mesh projected onto the floor. Both the particles and the mesh are interactive in their own way. When entering the room your movement will be followed, making the particles come to life.
In order to create such visuals we use live personal data. For that we installed a sensor that captures movements. Everything that is tracked by the sensor will be shown in particles. The same sensor also tracks human body heights, which will affect the colour and movement of the mesh. This means that the “Mirrorverse” will be different for most people.
