Undetermined Origin

Undetermined Origin was an interactive happening that occurred during the East Austin Studio Tour 2017. A small, newly formed art collective produced an immersive experience for participants where, upon visiting a residential home in north east Austin, they suddenly found themselves in the middle of an inter-dimensional “infestation”. The Anomalous Activity Division engaged participants to determine their level of exposure and guided them as they proceeded to interact with the space.Interactive elements including “space barnacles” and articulating tentacles of various sizes were designed and fabricated using laser cut wood, mylar sheeting, fiber optics, and addressable LEDs. Capacitive touch sensors were integrated into “elder barnacles” that, when touched, became excited and illuminated other elements within a certain proximity of each other.

YEAR2017TEAM20ROLEDesign & fabrication · Software & electrical · Project management

Detail: backlit hexagonal panels surrounded by iridescent mylar barnacle blooms and clustered tube colonies

A rainbow-lit segmented tentacle snakes out of the garage doorway into the night as visitors gather inside

Glowing tentacle arcs over faceted white wall panels studded with hexagonal light cells

Wide view of the faceted barnacle wall in blue-violet light, hexagon portals glowing within