Atoms + Exclusive Interview With Whitevoid!

Whitevoid, is an interactive art and design studio from Berlin. They have created the “Flare Facade” (Post 29.04) and the “Polygon Playground (Post19.11)" and numerous other amazing things! See here Atoms!:

ATOMS, performed at Centre Pompidou in Paris on April 4 2008

Flickr-photo by whitevoid

“Performance for a matrix of 64 gas balloons, lights, and sound

A room is filled with deep, evolving noises from a four-channel sound system. An eight-by-eight array of white, self-illuminated spheres floats in space like the atoms of a complex molecule.

Through variable positioning and illumination of each atom, a dynamic display sculpture comes into being, composed of physical objects, patterns of light, and synchronous rhythmic and textural sonic events. Change, sound, and movement converge into a larger form.

The height of the helium balloons is adjusted with a computer-controlled cable, whilst the internal illumination is accomplished using dimmable super-bright LEDs, creating a pixel in a warped 8x8 spatial matrix.

The sonic events, the patterns of light, and the movement of the balloons are manipulated in real time as a 45-60 minute-long performance.”

Here you find also an interesting interview just about Atoms

Exclusive Interview with Christoph Bauder:

Recently I made an e-mail interview with the man behind Whitevoid Christoph Bauder, which goes as follows:

photo by http://www.bauderfilm.de/christopher_bauder.html

1. You have been influenced by?
Christop Bauder: "Ken Adam, set-designer for the best James Bond movies."

2. When did you actually realize that you have an inclination towards interactive art&design?
Christop Bauder: "I started studying "visual communication" at the university of the arts in Berlin, which was mainly graphics design, layout and a bit of video. Then I joined the so called "digital class" that mainly developed screenbased interfaces at that time. I was fascinated by the endless options that interaction design was offering me, but did not like the screenbased approach so much. One semester we started experimenting with household appliances connected to the computer as input output devices. From that moment on I knew that connecting stuff to a PC for physical interaction was exactly what I was always looking for."

3. What made you come up with the concept of Flare?

Christop Bauder:"We were not satisfied with the existing technologies to create so called "media facades". They were all based on LEDs and only visible at night. We wanted to create an animateable building skin that would work in full daylight conditions. So we came up with the idea of reflective shingles in a rigid 3D shape to transform the buildings surface in a physical and digital way at the same time."

Flickr-photo by whitevoid

4. So what do you think you are trying to say through your Polygon Playground?

Christop Bauder:"The idea is that projection technology and screen technology is not restricted to flat surfaces but can also be brought into 3D space to cover basically any 3D object with a reactive surface. People do not have to pay attention to restricted computer input or output methods. The interaction happens in the natural surrounding by natural movements."

Flickr-photo by whitevoid

5. What are the main determinants in design process for you?
Christop Bauder: "Usability and fun!"

6. What do you think about kinetic architecture?
Christop Bauder: "Kinetic architecture is a next step approach to building our surroundings. Architecture was always known as static, solid and heavy. Architecture in the future will physically adapt to our needs and expectations. Since change is a constant process of our time, our surroundings need the ability to change too. What are your current obsessions and preoccupations? I am always interested in bringing bits and bytes to the real world or vice versa."

7. Any maxim you’d like to leave for our readers?
Christop Bauder: "It does not count to have a good idea! You have to make it into a product to prove its power!"

Here is a selection of other amazing projects of Whitevoid:

3D-Portfolio
Secondly, you have to visit their website. This was awarded with the reddot design award 2008! They made an incredible nice 3D-portfolio. As you move through the site, stacks of content unfold and as you move back up levels in the site hierarchy, they zip back up before you are taken to your destination.

http://www.whitevoid.com/application.html

Flickr-photo by whitevoid

VIEWZI
But this is not everything, WHITEvoid, has created another great intuitive visual experience with the 3D image browser for Viewzi called “3D photo cloud view”. Viewzi is a new way to search stuff visually.