: L'Amour, Mood Indigo
"If we screw up this moment, we try the next. And if we fail the next, we have our whole lives to get it right" This phrase is from Michel Gondry's film "Mood Indigo(2013)". The project talks about ideal fantasy beyond the door and is an open installation space for anyone to experience. When you walk in through the door, the darkness clears and the beautiful illusion surrounds you.
produced by: Jaikwon Myung
Introduction
When you open the door, the space changes. And a beautiful fountain stands before us. I created an ideal space that can actually be installed using Arduino and OpenFrameWorks. The black cloudy structures are installed on the floor and large screens are installed on the walls. Just to get into this space, we have to go through just one door. Actually, I used to experience fantasy indirectly through movies and books. I thought this media was the door to get in there. This space will allow the audience to experience, see, hear, and feel the calm emotions of fantasy.
Concept and background research
This film stimulates the ingenious imagination with fairytale-like Mise-en-Scène through analogue special effects. I thought of creating a space to visualize the characteristics of these movies. The film uses stop-motion techniques to show an exaggerated and fantastic world that can only be seen in animation. Rather than using computer graphics, it actively utilizes very classical and analogue methods. I created facilities for people to experience in the real world and created an interactive system using projectors. Just as the performance of the piano in the movie manufactures cocktails and grows flowers in the body, I created a paradigm in which the audience opens the door and faces a fantastic world.
Technical
I made a model because there is a limit to making this in actual size. Created a physical structure using Expanding Hand Foam, also made the door using a 3D printer. And human figures were placed everywhere on the structure. These arrangements are designed to receive light from the front screen.
I connected two Arduino, potentiometer, and LCD board with OpenFrameWorks. I created a real-time reactive visualization using the 'FIRMATA' Protocol, It can manipulate visualization using physical force. Also, I expressed the falling cloud fountain using Ofx addons 'ofxBox2d'. When the door is closed, a statement is displayed, and if the door is opened, the screen brightens and shows the fountain.
LCD board indicates the time when the door was opened and means the time when people stay in the space. And small bulbs in the structure flash like heartbeats in seconds.
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Future development
This work is just a model yet, There are several improvements to creating a real interactive installation. First of all, I need a space that blocks light from the outside that borders the door. And because the potentiometer is too small, I need to create a system that can replace it. It also requires a more stable design for the structure because people can get lost between it if it gets dark. I can also develop interaction with audiences using ofxBox2d. (For example, the audience can raise a cloud ball falling from the fountain again through a depth camera.) In particular, this is a very basic idea and can develop technology in many ways.
Self-evaluation
I was able to study reactive installation art while working on this project. Actually, I thought about a very simple but effective system. And I came up with how to apply it to this system using my major, Sculpture. In fact, if I had perfect filming technic and coding skills( I also wondered if I used proper coding where I expressed. ), I could have carried out a better project. But I am satisfied because I was able to study a lot on my own through the project. Finally, I think this attempt is very meaningful because I always thought of the combination of physical computing and visualization.
References
Daniel Shiffman, Nature of Code, introduction, NoiseLandscape
"Mood Indigo, L'écume des jours (original title)'- firm by Michel Gondry 2013
Making it: manufacturing techniques for product design Book by Chris Lefteri 2019
Lewis Lepton - YouTube video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EY1o5AG19fQ)
Make: Electronics: Learning Through Discovery, Book by Charles Platt 2015
Soundtrack: Carla Bruni - L'amoureuse
Nakauchi Kiyoshi - ofxBox2D systems
": L'Amour, Mood Indigo" (BGM Copyrightⓒ Carla Bruni - L'amoureuse) - Interactive door, Creative Coding by openFrameworks (C++), Projection, Arduino, Thanks by Theo Papatheodorou