Extraordinary "fur mirror" reacts to people and objects in front of it

Date
26 May 2015

There are a lot of artists doing interesting things with digital but for me the most engaging are those who explore the points at which human and computers come together to create something interactive – such as the Random International collective (of Rain Room fame) and Daniel Rozin. The latter, a New York-based artist, educator and developer, has just opened a new show at the bitforms gallery which includes one of the most striking interactive projects we’ve come across for ages.

PomPom Mirror features 928 fake fur puffs controlled by hundreds of motors that react to sensors monitoring people or objects that come in front of it. Turning the spheres from their beige side to their black side and back again, the mirror is thus able to trace someone moving an arm, or even the effect of sunlight passing across its surface. As Daniel puts it: “Ghostly traces fade and emerge, as the motorised composition hums in unified movement, seemingly alive and breathing as a body of its own.”

It’s an extension of his longstanding interest in mimicking the effects of mirrors but this may be his most impressive offering to date; a beguiling combination of considered technology and playful sensibility.

Daniel Rozin, Descent With Modification runs until 1 July.

Above

Daniel Rozin: PomPom Mirror

Above

Daniel Rozin: PomPom Mirror

Above

Daniel Rozin: PomPom Mirror

Share Article

About the Author

Rob Alderson

Rob joined It’s Nice That as Online Editor in July 2011 before becoming Editor-in-Chief and working across all editorial projects including itsnicethat.com, Printed Pages, Here and Nicer Tuesdays. Rob left It’s Nice That in June 2015.

It's Nice That Newsletters

Fancy a bit of It's Nice That in your inbox? Sign up to our newsletters and we'll keep you in the loop with everything good going on in the creative world.