Waving III (fish)
Krzysztof Mazur
INTERAKT.... SOLVAY 29-09.10.11.2003 Cracov
Waving III (fish) is an interactive installation which suggests to be treated as a subject. It is based on a simulation of a school of fish behavior.
Scientists working on a simulation of an artificial life describe it in a very simple way, using only two rules, the dynamics and beauty of shapes of a shoal of fish or a flock of birds which may even consist of many thousand individuals. According to the first rule: every individual takes care only of keeping the same distance to its neighbours. The rule number two allows breaking the rule number one, but only due to avoid an obstacle or to escape in a life-threatening situation. It applies only to the individual being the closest to the danger. The rest of the group does not notice the danger and follows the rule number one by keeping the stable distance to the others. This way; dynamically changing its position each of them can avoid the danger.
In my installation I used a shallow water container with sensors locating position of a human and a video projector projecting computer simulation of a group of virtual fish onto the bottom of the tank. Person walking in the water "frightened" the fishes changing the shoal's shape or tried to separate individuals from it. Therefore the human interaction has a negative character. The environment exists as a self-sufficient system. Entering of a man into the system causes disorder and forces the fishes to take adequate reactions.
That installation is my coming back to the childhood and unconcerned moments of playing and scaring away fish in a rural pond.
As a visual-sound scenery "Waving III (fish)" I used single module of "Waving II" installation from 1997.
At the exhibition were present two other interactive installations:
"Bed" 2001
"Nomads" 2002
Waving III (fish) is an interactive installation which suggests to be treated as a subject. It is based on a simulation of a school of fish behavior.
Scientists working on a simulation of an artificial life describe it in a very simple way, using only two rules, the dynamics and beauty of shapes of a shoal of fish or a flock of birds which may even consist of many thousand individuals. According to the first rule: every individual takes care only of keeping the same distance to its neighbours. The rule number two allows breaking the rule number one, but only due to avoid an obstacle or to escape in a life-threatening situation. It applies only to the individual being the closest to the danger. The rest of the group does not notice the danger and follows the rule number one by keeping the stable distance to the others. This way; dynamically changing its position each of them can avoid the danger.
In my installation I used a shallow water container with sensors locating position of a human and a video projector projecting computer simulation of a group of virtual fish onto the bottom of the tank. Person walking in the water "frightened" the fishes changing the shoal's shape or tried to separate individuals from it. Therefore the human interaction has a negative character. The environment exists as a self-sufficient system. Entering of a man into the system causes disorder and forces the fishes to take adequate reactions.
That installation is my coming back to the childhood and unconcerned moments of playing and scaring away fish in a rural pond.
As a visual-sound scenery "Waving III (fish)" I used single module of "Waving II" installation from 1997.
At the exhibition were present two other interactive installations:
"Bed" 2001
"Nomads" 2002