INFINITY / 糸 MI
NEW MEDIA INSTALLATION, GENERATING ALGORITHM, NATURE MATERIAL DISPLAYER
SUZHOU. CHINA 2021
“糸” is half “絲” in the shape, and refers to tiny filaments，Simple basic elements, woven with different rules, evolve into infinitely complex possibilities. The work is digitally generated to confirm the concept of the exhibition，Computer programming was born in the textile machine to control the jacquard punched paper card，"Silk" is like a lead that runs through the ancient civilization and the new direction, while digital generative art is like the process of weaving. The team uses programming to establish rules for the basic elements, and sketch nature.
The starting point of "sketching" is the number 3. "3" is the magic threshold, as Lao Tzu said,
” Life is two, two give birth to three, three give birth to everything”, There are a lot of phenomena in nature that are infinitely variable when you add up to three. Silkworm needs to find three fulcrums at the beginning of spinning, two points form a two-dimensional plane, three points can form a three-dimensional space. They need to weave a three-dimensional space from these three points to wrap themselves in, to complete the process of cocooning, pupating, and breaking out of the cocoon and lay eggs. If the silkworms' spinning path is carefully observed, their spinning track will gradually be wrapped inward, showing a clearly discernible "S" and "♾" shape track, because they do not overlap with other silkworms' space.
《糸-Infinity》also started at 3, and its generation logic is in a limited space, set 3 groups of lines growing at the same time, lines like gluttonous snake free growth, but was not allowed to contact each other. They will divide the limited picture frame into three areas that seem to blend but are clearly distinct in fact. Asymmetric numbers, mutual invasion, and avoidance actions bring dynamic imbalance and re-balance to the picture, thus breaking the stereotypical visual image of computer graphics. Observing these figures, it turns out that they grow similar trajectories with similar shapes as silkworms spin silk. This is not intentional, but the inevitable result of the same "operation" method.
The final presentation of the work is divided into three sections: In the first section, three groups of dots grow freely, disorderly and fast, just like cells swimming in disorder under a microscope. In the second section, the perspective moved to a higher dimension, and these moving points formed clear lines and appeared identifiable tracks. The speed of the dots as a basic element did not change, but the speed of the whole picture seemed to be much slower. The third stage is viewed from the perspective of a satellite cloud image. The speed of the dot is still the same, but the picture is almost still, but the change can still be seen when you wait for a moment.
While in the face of "nature" of work, already with what Zhang Zao said “Nature outside, in the heart of nature "referred to is not completely consistent, but there is still a certain degree of similar mood, but there is a certain level of similarity. Maybe this work can bring more inspiration. In new media field, or in future computer-based creations, apart from complex calculations and formulas. Is there more comprehension and creation linking with the natural world and working with heaven and earth?
After the completion of the work, the workshop with the Shanghai Improv Art Festival is also an expanded version of the concept of this work. Every living human being is put into the blank time as a "silkworm" following the logic of silk generation, trying to generate a "natural sketch" of human being. The only difference from exhibition work , human performance art is that as a more autonomous individual, breakthrough and release are human nature, which integrated into the final presentation of the work.
