Catalogue > Un extrait vidéo au hasard

INFLECTIONS is a real-time generative system that temporally rearranges video sequences based on mathematical equations. It explores the relationship between duration, simultaneity, and expectation. The technical concept of the work is based on the idea of a one-dimensional random walk: a mathematical representation of a journey along a linear path. The path contains several nodes or decision points. At each node along the path, the walker decides at random whether to go forward or backwards. In this work, the ?path? is the timeline of a movie clip. The program identifies a set of "inflection points" (or ?decision points?) along this timeline. An inflection point is a moment that contains no motion, where movement comes to a standstill. It is thus a good point to change direction. Imagine now the computer program walking along a movie timeline. When it reaches one of those inflection points, it makes a yes-no decision, either to go forward or move back. In this project, the walk is not random, because the program relies on some non-linear dynamical equation to make each decision. Inflections uses equations that exhibit chaotic behavior and for this reason can be used to simulate a random process.

Hector Rodriguez is a digital artist and theorist. His animation Res Extensa received the award for best digital work in the Hong Kong Art Biennial 2003 and has been shown in India, China, Germany, and Spain. His essays about film theory/history and digital art have been published in Screen, Cinema Journal, and Game Studies, and he has participated in various art and technology conferences. He was Artistic Director of the Microwave International Media Art Festival, where he has also taught workshops on Java programming and organized an exhibition on art and games, and is now a member of the Writing Machine Collective. He currently teaches at the School of Creative Media, City University of Hong Kong. He has taught courses on game studies, generative art, software art, media art theory, contemporary art, and film history.