Concept and Design Strategy

Digital Mastaba was informed by the idea of endless tunnels - vast openness into which a viewer can find themselves lost in the never-ending patterns of light. Adding to the sense of vastness from an interior, we recognized that a form that sits purely as an object could add to the sense of surprise and mystery as someone enters. Thus, we decided to create a formal gesture that, when viewed from outside, was merely an object floating in space but upon entering became a larger, endless space. The naming convention along with the inspiration and conceptual grounding behind it are explained later on. 

Formally, an inverted pyramid allowed for the form to sit antipodally against the perpendicular walls in the space while creating an interior surface that could be projected onto from the ground. Adding to the sense of mystery, the PVC-structure is enclosed in black fabric. To create an experience where a viewer could lie on their back and view a projection above, we decided to suspend the entire structure from the ceiling of the studio. Finally, on the ground, we used a carpet and pillows to orchestrate a sense of serenity so that as viewers entered the structure by sliding underneath, they could relax and take in their surroundings as they continuously change and return to the original. 

To make the installation interactive, the animation and audio-scape are controlled via four potentiometers embedded in custom built controllers. By turning the knobs, the viewer can modulate different parameters of the animation and the audio - this will also be explained in more detail below.