Looking Outwards MAX MSP

SOMETHING THAT INSPIRED ME
Fragile Territories by Robert Henke

In Fragile Territories, Robert Henke uses four fast moving lasers to create a network of flowing light on a 30 meter wide wall. Globules of light quickly flow through paths which themselves bend and twist according to some incomprehensible rules. The piece inspired me because of its new take on the familiar idea of particle systems. The particle systems work and move in a more geometric fashion, unconcerned with “flocking” or any sort of attraction behavior. Instead, the laser particles serve only to render the true focus of the piece: various interweaving networks of curves and lines which whip about the wall. The whole piece gives me a very distinct feeling that I am watching data move through execution threads within a program structure, but I get that feeling all the time so Fragile Territories is not unique in that sense. Nevertheless, it remains quite inspiring in its subtle use of particle systems.

SOMETHING THAT DISAPPOINTED ME
GPS Beatmap by Face Removal Services

The GPS Beatmap lays the framework for a beautifully conceptual way to explore musical combinations. Exploring a spatial map of music, or any other multi-faceted subject matter, engages the user and provides a new perspective on said subject matter. What disappoints me is how little the GPS Beatmap builds upon this framework. The music map is static. The user has no way to specify genre, nor do they have control over the shape of the map. A feature where one ‘breakbeat’ remains at medium volume while the user moves throughout the map would allow a more cohesive mash-up than attaching every loop to a geographic location. Overall, the GPS Beatmap is a wonderful concept ripe with opportunity which Face Removal Services takes little advantage of.

SOMETHING THAT SURPRISED ME
Chaper 1: The Discovery by Félix Luque

The Discovery surprised me on multiple fronts. Firstly, Luque takes control of the user experience before they even see his sculpture. An entire room exists solely to condition the user’s perception of the sculpture. Videos play of fictitious discovery scenarios in which the sculpture is stumbled upon within mysterious environments. This preps the user for their own ‘discovery’ of the sculpture. I never thought of dedicating an entire space to building up expectations for interaction with another space.
Luque’s sculpture’s behavior surprised me as well. The sculpture’s lighting patterns, a sort of pseudo-communication, change based on the number of people interacting with it at a given time. If one person stands before the sculpture, it emits distinct and directional patterns to that specific person. As more people surround it, the lighting patterns become more hectic and disorganized. When fully surrounded, the sculpture flashes all of its lights on and off in what I interpreted as a display of fear.