Alchimia

ALCHIMIA: an inexplicable or mysterious transmutation, a seemingly magical process of transformation, creation, or combination.

In a universe where cameras have become a constant presence, called or uncalled for, our relationship with our own digital representation is often summarized by the selfie, prepared as if it were a mirror, where we project our vision of a "self", whose pose, lighting and expression we fully control and wish to share with others.

 

Alchimia V2 seeks to enhance that relationship, bringing it to a heightened foreground by focusing visually on the observer's face, trying to keep it always in the spotlight, regardless of their spatial position relative to the system, while ensuring that the same spatial position will affect other parameters of the representation / transmutation.

Alchimia V2 transforms the face of the viewer, altering their expression, their gender, assigning masks, making their traits diffuse traits at the same time as it calls for heightened expressiveness, a search of one other "self" who will forget the selfie pose and explore so many other expressions.

This search process takes place to the sound of a mesmerizing and tribal rhythm, accentuating this inner, deep process while stimulating the desire for a growing body expressiveness and dance, while always keeping the focus on the face. Through the  interaction the viewer is absorbed in the transmutation process, unaware of the fact that they also have become part of the performance, unique, unrepeatable, transformed.

Alchimia V2 is an interactive installation entirely coded in Processing 3.0.