Impermanence is an animated experiment inspired by the Zen principle of impermanence and its expression in traditional Japanese ink painting. Placed in the digital context of the IAC video wall, contrasting and connecting with nature in a transient composition.

This project was a continuation of a long time curiosity that I have about the meeting of animation and Japanese painting. Creating a spatial and personal experience, when displayed on the huge canvas of the IAC video wall.

VISUAL INSPIRATION 

The visual direction drawn from classical painters as well as contemporary imagery combines algorithmic elements created in processing, alongside elements that were animated in After-Effects, mainly particles systems that simulate the behavior of ink and brush on rice paper. I collaborated with Elizabeth Fuller for this fusion, and she contributed some interesting landscape elements, that were generated using Processing. The animated nature of the piece is of transient compositions, writing onto the paper/screen and vanish right after to make a space for new compositions. This allowed for many different perspectives and points of view to be presented in space and in time. And made the point that everything is transient and momentary in our world. For this project, I composed the soundtrack, alongside working on the animation, which made it an integrated audiovisual workflow.

Produced as part of ‘Big Screens’ at NYU’s ITP.