helle rohde andersen: precise papers

  ‘precise papers’ by helle rohde andersen

‘precise papers’, by danish designer helle rohde andersen, is the tangible result of an algorithmic and generative exploration of the precision that underlies computers and machines. the work, a stacked series of paper cutouts, provides a material experience of the digital processes that went into its creation.

to create the work, 160 ellipses were cut out of 160 pieces of paper, and stacked together. each of these figures themselves were created algorithmically in processing and cut out with a laser cutter, creating a degree of precision impossible to replicate by manual human labour.

the use of random and noise functions in the processing interface add a sense of ambiguity, as the shape of the ellipses varies slightly every time the sketch is run on the computer. at the same time, the nature of its algorithmic basis means that the program is being completely precise in its computation each time, even though the final product may vary based on the input.

  side view

  ‘precise papers’ at the exhibition at copenhagen institute of interaction design

side view during the exhibition

top view

sketches and concepts originate in the organic but precise shapes found in nature

video documentation of the project