IDFA – Perspective

The 2021 campaign for IDFA was centred around the theme 'perspective': how we all see something different.

To visualise this, I developed a machine that uses multiple algorithms to translate films/documentaries into falling ink drops. The position, velocity and colour of these ink drops are based on how the algorithms 'see' the films/documentaries used as input.

By mirroring these ink drops, Rorschach images were created. Rorschach images are commonly used in psychology to test for interpretations, bringing the concept full circle.

My roll was to design and develop the machine and necessary software. This included transforming a 3D printer, make a peristaltic pump system and hooking these up to algorithms. A custom nozzle allows for 6 different colours of ink to be used simultaneously.

A custom UI shows the multiple steps of the system: original video content, scanned parameters and final resulting data that drives the movement/pumps of the installation. A live input could be utilised to create the Rorschach in realtime and export them either to image or video.

Below is a selection of the behind the scenes of the development process.