APHELION

EXHIBITED AT THE PERFORMANCE ARCADE 2016 WORK BY DERMOTT FERRIS, ABBY FARROW, MAYKE BLOM, LACHIE PHILIPSON, AND SOPHIA MARTIN

The holographic orbs in this interactive installation are activated by viewers entering the space and pressing their associated button. The orbs are rotated through a series of concealed power drills. This moment of interaction references the curiosity of people throughout history peering into a telescope and witnessing the grandeur of the cosmos. The projected imagery, created through a combination of animation and algorithmic simulations are also tied to the interaction system. The spherical motif is repeated at a multitude of scales; from the methodical discs to the frenetic particle system in the form ground. These movements parallel cosmic events on a similarly diverse scale. Particles implode and orbit around the orbs in a motion inspired by the solar system or the movement of an electron around its nucleus.

Aphelion is the point in which an astronomical body is furthest from its star. This project is an exploration of space and movement illuminated through projection.