THE BUTTERFLY ROOM is an interactive projection installation where hand-drawn butterflies are brought to life using computer vision and AI. The setup involves a drawing station, a camera and a projection. Visitors draw a butterfly by hand, then place it in front of the camera. An animation of a flapping butterfly is algorithmically generated using edge detection, neural networks etc. Swarms of butterflies accumulate on the projection, interacting with each other in fantastical display of automated technology and organic forms. The resulting projection acts as a boundary between physical and digital worlds, a membrane between the real and imagined. It recreates the fundamental magic of computer technology, which is to lift material realities into frictionless and fantastic abstractions.
The project intends to evoke a feeling of wonder. Though technical in execution, its software remains largely unseen. Its organic forms and hand-drawn lines are an alternative to the masculine techno-dystopias that dominate pop culture.
Media: Tensorflow, Python, Processing (Java), Projectors, Paper, Ink
