On playa at Burning Man 2022, topping out at 8 meters (26') with fire cannons.
Bottle Genii is:
a Mystery: The Puzzle of the Bottle Genii — what links these individuals?
an Optic: 8× life-sized 3D portraits inspired by our mystery characters are rendered holographically via moiré in flat perforated steel:
an Architecture: These holographic panels are load-bearing facets in a novel "candy-twist" zome structure.
an Experience: Bottle Genii is topped with an array of color-fire cannons controlled by you, via computer vision.
FAQ
What is a candy-twist zome?
Our working name for a novel class of spiraling shapes that generalizes polar zonohedra and unduloids. They have some nice properties: a faceting into rhombic (diamond) facets with equal edge lengths, a natural build order, and a variety of pleasing shapes and sizes that can all be built with the same struts.
What is holographic moiré?
An encoding of continuous full-parallax 3D imagery into flat patterned occluders such as cut paper, perforated sheet metal, scored wood veneer, printed plastics, etc. Essentially holography using moiré interference instead of wave interference. Equivalently a computed dynamic komorebi. Lower-capacity versions were used in the 2016 playa installation Gnomon and in a 2011 show at Harvard's Loeb Gallery. Tech developed by Zintaglio Arts.
What is moiré?
A pattern of low-frequency beats made by superimposing two similar high-frequency patterns. Often seen when looking through two layers of fencing or sheer curtain; also heard when two singers are slightly off pitch.
What is komorebi (木漏れ日)?
The pattern of light made by sunshine filtering through the leaves of a tree.
Collapse & bundle upper level strutwork for shipping. Cleared out and cleaned up build space. Sourced more pallets & ALCs.
2022.07.31
Palletization of holo panels. Bundling of struts. Change shipping arrangements.
2022.07.30
Strike: roughly 6 hours for 4 people to disassemble. Partial re-assembly to test-fit portal plates.
2022.07.29
Safety enclosure for generators. Strut cleaning. Filing of sharp edges. Photo inventory of joints. Glue-up of custom pallet.
2022.07.28
Full build unveiled at Artists' Asylum reception. Blacking touch-up.
2022.07.27
Steel blacking done.
2022.07.26
Portal plates bent and partially fitted.
2022.07.25
Tight strut in roofline fixed. Curtains up and lights aligned. Steel blacking started. Made brackets to bolt chandelier to stem to crossbars. Looks great.
2022.07.24
Structure completed. Roof crossbars and chandelier stem installed. Chandelier installed and tested. Curtains temporarily up for marking and trimming.
2022.07.23
Holographic panels and most of upper structure installed. Portal plates delivered but too late for test build; will modify and test during strike.
2022.07.22
Base spiral assembled and ratchet-strapped into position. Gussets deburred.
2022.07.21
All holographic panels assembled, framed, and ready for build. More strut end rounding.
2022.07.20
Pipe smushing done. Holo sandwiches assembled. Begin framing holo panels. More rounding of strut ends.
2022.07.19
Need to smush corners of struts around holo panels to resolve collisions. Found a process. Begin assembling of all holo sandwiches. Rounding of strut ends.
2022.07.18
Custom-perforated steel panels have arrived! Only 14 weeks since ordered. Test assembly of one sandwich.
2022.07.17
Move remaining parts and tools to the Asylum. Gusset holes are too small due to inclined kerf of laser. Milled 32 gusset plates to widen and chamfer holes.
2022.07.16
Moving struts and gussets to the Asylum. Trim and roll edges of all standard-perforated steel panels.
2022.07.15
Custom-perforated steel panels shipped, after berating vendor.
2022.07.14
Build plan written. Finished machining inclined washers.
2022.07.13
It's a deal! We can rent a build space in Artisans' Asylum. No word from fabricators on custom-perforated panels or portal panels. Project is dead if they don't arrive within a week.
2022.07.12
Started machining inclined washers.
2022.07.11
All twisted and bent struts done.
2022.07.10
Last batch of struts to be made.
2022.07.09
Logistics day -- recruiting, travel, shipping, tickets.
2022.07.08
Curtain design.
2022.07.07
Pinging the steel fabricators. No news is bad news.
2022.07.06
Replenish pipe supply.
2022.07.05
Done cutting all standard-perforated steel sheets.
2022.07.03
More cutting steel. Developing a crushing handshake.
2022.07.02
Day off to build a "Scales of Justice" float for the Warren VT July 4th parade.
2022.07.01
Mark and start hand-cutting all standard-perforated steel sheets.
2022.06.29
NYC run
2022.06.28
Redesigned portal. Laser-cutting order sent to fabricator.
2022.06.26
Done drilling. Tab bending.
2022.06.25
Drilling and chamfering of strut tab holes.
2022.06.23
Designed and fabricated chandelier.
2022.06.19
Struts galore.
2022.06.18
More strut-making.
2022.06.17
Need to remake some twisted struts due to typo in code from autocomplete inserting "sin" instead of "sign". Salvage plan for re-using incorrectly twisted struts.
2022.06.16
Added crossbars to design of roofline oculus to support fire system.
2022.06.15
Spec and order grade 8 3/4-10 "bridge bolts"
2022.06.14
Designed and ordered parts for power/lighting system.
2022.06.12
Started crushing tabs on twist struts. Gusset plate thickness determined from tension calculations. Laser-cutting order sent to fabricator.
2022.06.11
Cut lengths for twist struts.
2022.06.10
Built rig to smush strut ends with twists and bends.
2022.06.08
Pipe resupply.
2022.06.06
All straight struts done.
2022.05.30
All struts for base and holo spiral cut.
2022.05.29
72/102 straight struts done.
2022.05.26
Gusset plate & portal DXFs for laser-cut steel.
2022.05.25
Sourced more pipe. Started work on the strut bender.
2022.05.24
Made templates for cutting the perforated steel.
2022.05.23
57/102 straight struts done. Repaired press.
2022.05.22
45/102 straight struts done.
2022.05.19
26/102 straight struts done.
2022.05.16
Fabricator has started work on punching holo panels.
2022.05.13
Build schedule done & submitted to BMorg.
2022.05.10
12/102 straight struts done; tuned up industrial bandsaw.
2022.05.03
Design of gussets to attach holo panels to framework.
2022.04.23
Switching to a different pipe mfg.
2022.04.21
Built new jig for pipe flattening & bending.
2022.04.19
Holo panels design finished and sent to fabricator.
