This mesmerizing artwork titled Diffusion Choir has appeared in the atrium of the global biotechnology company’s headquarters by the joint effort of the specialists in different areas. The secret of its beauty lay in using the principles that the authors got from nature. We often come across complex and at the same time beautiful structures that are based on a simple action program performed by each element. For example, bird flocks, in which separate birds try to maintain the safe distance from each other, can take absolutely marvelous forms due to a large number of agents.
Such movement – chaotic at one moment, and ordered at the next – underlies the algorithm of the Diffusion Choir’s custom software. Four hundred folding elements form a hanging volume in the sunlit atrium, describing the motions of an invisible flock of birds soaring throughout the space.
Due to the real-time flocking simulation, the movements of the sculpture are perpetually evolving. Over each hour, smaller groups coalesce into a single formation, soaring through the air in fluid collaboration. At the quarter hours, the birds gather and perform choreographed gestures across the sculpture.
The sculpture reflects the collaborative and innovative spirit of the work happening in the building. The graceful breath-like movements of the piece create an open, contemplative space for all the inhabitants of the building to enjoy.
This artwork is a great example of a big data artistic visualization as well as a clever work with an interior space. The authors of the project – Sosolimited, Plebian Design, and Hypersonic teams – were tasked to preserve the existing aesthetics of the atrium, including the natural sunlight, open space, and sight lines while focusing on a narrative about collaboration. All the points were successfully accomplished. Diffusion Choir is a good illustration of the collaboration that gives rise to something new and beautiful instead of being a simple sum of actions.