Black boxes are devices to gather and access information, even though their content and ways of working are opaque and a mystery. Smartphones, computers and algorithms and even the human brain might be considered black boxes.
The Black Box by Absolut is a project by students from the Information Experience Design (IED) programme of the Royal College of Art of London together with Matt Clark, co-founder and creative director of United Visual Artists, one of the leading studios when it comes to apply emerging technologies in the field of audiovisual experiences.
The Black Box by Absolut is literally a black box that contains two immersive experiences that take architectural elements and state-of-the-art technology to stimulate the mechanisms of perception (i.e. visual, sound, touch and temperature) of the user and offer surprising sensory experiences.
Frequency. Robert Thorpe and Jennifer Haugan
Frequency is a sensory experience where the spectator is immersed in a series of low-frequency vibrations and flooded by an intense coloured light at the same time. This installation consists of a floor made of a series of capsules with sensors that trigger low-frequency sounds and activate a wall of high-intensity LEDs when the user passes by. When there is more than one person moving through this area, colours blend in real time, thus facilitating the interaction between users that explore this sonic floor as a game.
Absolute Relative. Maria Euler, Luka Kille, Ava Watson, Ker Siang Yeo
Absolute Relative is an experience that plays with our perception and makes us aware of how relative it is and how senses can trick us. This installation is inspired by a scientific experiment known as the ‘thermal grill illusion’ – when someone is exposed to interlaced warm and cool temperatures, senses experience a burning pain sensation. This thermal grill is transformed into a sculpture, where it can be touched and experienced. Thermal imagery is projected on the grill to reveal to the viewer the mechanism of the haptic illusion.
