The simulation consists of a hacked particle engine that uses random fire textures from a bunch of sources across the web. The texture colors change with time, eventually dying off as smoky textures. Here’s a picture and a link to the OpenGL-based applet and source.

Find the Processing sketch here.

Here’s a prototype for a new project. It’s a 40 x 10 ft., three-projector installation running about 2000 videos. Stay tuned for more documentation as the project develops.

UPDATE: Go here to see the most recent version.

See the project page.

I recently developed an application for interactive patent database visualization and navigation. It’s still in progress but I thought I’d post a couple screen shots. It’s the standard mass/spring ball/stick network visualzation, which isn’t terribly intuituve or efficient, but it’s a start. This interactive program is written in Processing and uses various online patent databases.

Currently it allows several interesting group selection operations including tag cloud generation, date, inventor and class-based organization.

I’ll post more pictures and an online demo soon.

Title: Separate image durations activate distinct neuronal populations in the human medial temporal lobe
Authors: Eve Isham, Christopher Baker, Chris Thorp, William Banks, Peter Steinmetz

(a link)

Here’s a link to our abstract.

As has happened before, I found an artist who has a well-developed, lovely version of my idea. In fact, the similarity was uncanny. Apparently, I’m about 10 months behind on this one. The project is called TXTual healing. Beautiful work Paul Notzold. I’ll toast you by linking to you!

So, is there something about contemporary technologies that lead people to similar artistic expressions? Is the expressive potential of technology simply limited by “features”, resulting in similar ideas — or is our socio-technological imagination “in-sync” in some way? We certainly have no problem adopting tech-speak to describe out thoughts, patterns, interactions and bodily processes.

I’ve encountered this coincidence of ideas many times during my first year studying art. My science and engineering background left me with the impression that novelty is the greatest of all expressive achievements. Is novelty the highest achievement in art? I hope not.

Some background on SMS.
A huge collection of projects can be found HERE.

Public Expression

• TXTual healing, Paul Notzold
  A lovely SMS to thought-bubble on public facade project.
• SMS Matrix, Delft, EE
  A large 3D LED display will display incoming SMSes
• Smoke Signals, A Minimaforms Project
  SMSes from participants are projected onto a cloud of smoke. A website presents both SMS numbers and an online submission box. A queue of messages is available for users to see.
• Tool For Armchair Activists, Troika
  An device that will read SMSes in public places.
• SMS Guerrilla Projector, Troika
  A portable SMS projector.
• Speaker’s Corner, Jaap De Jonge, et al.
  A public LED display presenting a SMS/Web text submission/collaboration context.
• Story Board,Stefhan Caddick
  A public, mobile storyboard that will display SMS messages. Employed Gnokii.
• Avete qualcosa da dire? , Andreas Gysin
  The artists asks “what do you have to say?”. Participants answer via text message. Results are displayed on LED screens across Switzerland within minutes.

Collaborative Creation

• Specflic 2.0 – Speculative Distributed Cinema, Adriene Jenik
  A distributed performance, including live SMS input participant/viewers.

Control/Access Objects

• hugms, Mark Argo
  A tangible media device that allows you to send hugs via SMS.
• White Snoflakes, Polka Product Pleasure
  White snowflakes in the street are illuminated by SMSes.
• Flickr Peep Show, @ Mediamatic 2005
  Tags are sent to an installation that will reveal images from the flickr database.
• Accessory Nerve, Francesca Rosella and Ryan Genz, et al.
  A wearable device that responds to SMS
• Cellwish, Yu-Chen Chiu (邱于真), Kuan Huang(黄宽)
  A text message based 3D public video installation. People can send their good wish via SMS of cellphone and share the good karma with the other people in the public space.
• Budapest Heat, Aether Architecture
  A sculpture transforms itself in response to weather report SMSes from Budapest.
• Fete Mobile, Fete Mobile
  A large networked blimp is accessible via SMS.
• Oribotics, Matthew Gardiner
  An interactive installation/sculpture that responds to SMSes from participants.
• Call A ball, S. Grünert, K. Hüsig & J. Pönisch
  City kiosks that allow people to communicate and organize ball-games via SMS.
• TXTSound, Paul Notzold
  An SMS 2 Sound converter utilizing Max/MSP/Jitter.

Group Coordination via SMS

• PAUSE. An experiment in slowing down @ Conflux, 2006
  Participants in this urban event will receive text messages instructing them where to “pause” for five minutes. Groups of 30+ will simultaneously freeze and then unfreeze in various high traffic areas. (via
  textually.org)

So, in order to get the messages in and out of Processing, I will use the SMSLib for Java. It looks like a simple solution [edit: It's not!]. One can connect to the phone via Bluetooth and send and receieve SMSes as needed. Luckily I have access to an old Sony T610 and a new Nokia 6103. One of the two should work. Ideally, I would like to parse and route the messages straight into a MySQL database for archival and use in multiple applications.