Illuminated Beamscape: The Chaos Within
The Chaos Within is a mirror that replaces the viewer with a chaotic and colorful image of fluid flow. The background image remains the same. On passing an invisible threshold, the viewer sees themself morphs into an unfamiliar figure, as if they stepped into an alternate dimension. The mirror image is simultaneously the same as the viewer and foreign. The piece invites the viewer to play with it: they can choose to reveal, conceal, and change the shape of the chaos depending on how the they move in the space. Bright, contrasting colors enhance the feeling of stepping into a different world. The replacement image changes subtly and randomly over time, cycling through different color schemes and evolving shapes. The chaotic image also functions to externalize an unsettling emotional experience. Ordinarily, inner experiences are private; this piece asks the question: what if our physical bodies were invisible and our emotions were public?