Mirror Mirror
Type
Interactive Installation
Sculpture / Print / Coding / Animation
Material
Soap Stone / Paper / Projection
Year
2023
In a world, where individual personality is defined by the combined results of all sorts of personality tests, stone seals are engraved with codes to serve as identification. These seals are worn at all times as a precious accessory, so fellow humans can accelerate the tedious process of getting acquainted.
The Seal
Cylinders carved from different types of sandstone serve as precious items of identification. The individual colorization of the stone pattern and the sandblasted ornaments represent the owner's personality and are worn like accessories.
One way of deciphering the ornaments, is to make an imprint on paper and scan it, in order to access the personality data.
The Personality Data
Scanning the code with a smartphone and pressing the identify-button gives access to one of three sets of personality data in the form of rotating busts.
Unfortunately, two of them are compromised, and mechanical voices will appear reciting parts of the personal records.
Through their influence, the voices disfigure the bust's shape and its surroundings until one of them breaks free, spreading onto a nearby surface, where it continues to grow and reshape until the data collapses and dissolves.
The Creation
The animations for the personality data sets are based on a large number of results from personality tests I took. These tests could vary from highly scientific and AI-based to less serious, like "Which Pokémon are you?".
After getting filtered and compressed, the results were turned into audio records via Text-To-Speech programs in order to use this data for audio-reactive animations created in a program called Touch Designer.
Mapping them on a 3D scan of my upper body or using them on the surroundings, they could even live react to a visitor's voice, given enough processing power.
Mentoring
Prof. Uli Cluss
Production Support
Stefan Avramescu
Shinroku Shimokawa
Claudia Heinzler
Sebastian Lotz
Wolfgang Weinmann
The Installation
Instead of using live interactive animations, I rendered two version sets and one default animation, which can be accessed by scanning the printed QR-Code. It will lead to a specifically programed website showing the first part of the animation and, after a certain time, triggering a parallel website, streamed by a projector onto the picture frame and wall around it.
Only one visitor at a time can access a "compromised" version, while all others will be shown a default animation of only the rotating bust without anything happening.
The Process
