This project for an interactive ceiling, imagined for the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York in 2005, was inspired by models of Gaudi’s catenary arches, in which gravity played an essential role. The objective here is to differentiate the “framework” from the structure by relying on the distribution of the material within the system. A specific script is written, a sequence of code, which should allow the fabric to become denser depending on the slope. A model of wave interference is then introduced as a new parameter. This makes it possible to control the effect with precision in the context of a wider field, and thus to create multiple zones of densification. The constellations emerging from the interference of the waves form the maps which will identify the intersections of the material. When two layers of material intersect, a node of dynamic bifurcation is created: Bifid. The chosen material (polycarbonate) stretches or becomes denser depending what degree of lighting of the wave-shaped structure is required. When one area of this material is activated, the entire field reacts like a “living” creature, “quivering” until regaining its usual stability.
