Dense Space Il’Mobile is the most recent iteration of an ongoing spatial investigation, led by Professor Paola Zellner-Bassett, utilizing textile materials, anaglyph lighting, and digital systems to produce reconfigurable environments. The broad goal of the investigation was to produce an environment that challenged normative perceptions of space. The interaction of the open weave of the textile spheres and the stereo-pair lighting produces shadows that can be recomposed with anaglyph 3D glasses (red, blue) and generate additional sets of spheres that appear to float in space. These virtual spheres morph and interact with each other as well as the actual spheres that are suspended from the mobile producing a perceived increase in the density of the space. This effect can be seen in some of the photos when 3D glasses are worn, but the true impact is only realized when both the real and virtual spheres surround you, occasionally even appearing to switch roles.
This iteration incorporated a motorized armature that modulated speed based on data from the NOAA DSCOVR satellite. I was responsible for developing the software and hardware for controlling the movement of the mobile. Additionally, I collaborated with Professor Paola Zellner-Bassett on the conceptual and material design development of the project. This included the development of tooling and techniques for fabricating large open weave fiberglass spheres; adapting industrial processes for fiber winding, and exploring the potential of inflatable formwork for the production of large scale fiber-based structures.
Dense Space Il’Mobile was at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History for the 2017 ACC Creativity Conference. An earlier iteration, Dense Space, was exhibited at the Moss Center for the Arts in Blacksburg, Virginia for ICAT Day and won the At The Nexus Award which, “Exemplifies work at the nexus of engineering, arts, and design.” Dense Space is now on display in Roanoke, Virginia at the Science Museum of Western Virginia.
