Infinite Reflections

Infinite Reflections is an art installation consisting of the first video infinity mirrors in existence. Built on a homemade platform that can live stream graphics over Wi-Fi and play local video, a circular screen consisting of 14,336 pixels displays generative and interactive artwork that reflects back and forth "infinitely" in between a variety of custom fabricated mirrors.

Abstract

Infinite Reflections is a collection of the first video infinity mirrors. The collection consists of three physical mirrors built around a 14336 pixel circular led screen and a myriad of digital artworks both static and interactive that  play on the screen. Physical variations of the mirror include: a mirror with a diffusion ring around the screens to create a standard infinity tunnel effect; a mirror that contains hemispheres which produce a floating grid of spheres effect; and most excitingly, a convex mirror that warps the visuals into the center of the mirror as they repeat. Infinite Reflections, specifically the convex iteration, deconstructs what a screen can be by flipping the pixels perpendicular to the viewer then bending them back to parallel using a novel optical design. This new physical paradigm opens possibilities in the digital realm for generating illusions. The screen, which appears to be a hemisphere made up of increasingly small repetitions of the outermost band of visuals, allows for the creation of a moving tunnel illusion pushing the viewer into a surreal experience where they physically feel as if they are moving through the visuals.

The mirrors run on a custom software platform built on a Raspberry Pi computer embedded into the mirror body which allows for real time video streaming from a desktop computer via UDP protocol over wifi or ethernet, enabling interactive visuals. In addition to live visuals, the mirror hosts its own website, accessible by mobile device or desktop on the local wifi network that allows for playback of video stored locally on the mirror, as well as access to a cloud-based library of art that can be downloaded to the mirror and then played back.

Sphere Mirror Highlights

Convex Mirror Highlights

Research

My thesis research began years before ITP after visiting a Yayoi Kusama infinity room and discovering the work of Anthony James and Ivan Navarro. I became obsessed with understanding how the various infinity illusions worked and was inspired to both learn how to fabricate and pursue a career as an artist.

At ITP, I learned to control individual LEDs, LED strips, turn strips into video screens, and eventually how to control LED matrix panels. After discovering the existence of bendable LED matrix panels at the end of my first semester, the idea for a circular video infinity mirror was born and the next year and a half of my life has been  dedicated to making this idea a reality.

During the thesis process, I searched for every instance of infinity mirror art that I could find, discovering dozens of varieties of mirrors but none that use video panels. Armed with a repository of infinity mirror designs that have come before, I set out to create designs for new mirrors, and eventually fabricated five novel infinity mirrors using the CNC and laser cutter. Three of these are presented in this project.

On the digital side, I learned how to program a Raspberry Pi, a bluetooth app for wi-fi configuration, a node app for mobile and desktop access to the Pi for local playback and remote video downloads, and a UDP server for streaming live and interactive visuals over wi-fi. I also learned creative coding with Touchdesigner to generate the visuals.

Panoptes Mirror

Panoptes Mirror is a circular video infinity mirror which live streams your eyes in the mirror when you step in front of it. The mirror is a circular infinity mirror containing a round screen with a resolution of 448x32 pixels. A webcam with a light is attached to the bottom of the mirror. The webcam feed is analyzed by OpenCV using dlib to identify your eyes which are sent through syphon into Touchdesigner and then streamed to a raspberry pi controlling the led matrices. When there are no viewers in front of the mirror, a peacock feather themed animation plays on the screens enticing the viewer to approach. When the system detects that the viewer is present, peacock feathers which are instanced inside of the mirror transition into the viewers eyes.

The mirror is a commentary on surveillance capitalism and the implicit consent we give to have our faces and eyes scanned (usually unwittingly) as we navigate public and retail spaces. The piece is inspired by the Greek legend of Argos Panoptes: a 100 eyed giant tasked with guarding IO, A consort of Zeus, by his jealous wife Hera. Zeus had Hermes slay Argos who was rewarded for his service by Hera who embedded his eyes into the feathers of the peacock. Peacock feathers in the case of Panoptes mirror are a metaphor for the flashy content advertisers use to gain impressions and harvest our attention and data. The feathers are displayed on “infinite screens” visible in the infinity mirror, a parallel to the endless feed, when someone is attracted to the mirror, the webcam light turns on and they become aware that they have now been captured by the mirror and their eyes have now been embedded into the peacock feathers just like Argos.

Tunnel Mirror