MOS: rainbow vomit

‘rainbow vomit’ by MOS

‘rainbow vomit’, is a digital, interactive, computational heap of building blocks in a constant state of near collapse. it was created with the help of custom-built software that computes real-time physics calculations for structural equilibrium. In other words, the giant, glittering foam blocks you see so artfully lighted in the image above are arranged to be as close as possible to falling down without that actually happening.

this is what the architects had to say: this is not architecture. it’s an experiment. we work on experiments that lead us into uncomfortable situations in parallel with architecture, in order to force ourselves to rethink things. for instance, what does it mean to produce software that helps us lose control instead of aiming for total parametric authority over everything? can we acquire technical expertise in order to undermine it? does this liberate us from our preconceived ideas of architecture?

in a way we are interested in an architecture vomited out, from an overindulgence in other architectures: a recognizable other of half-digested parts and pieces. rather than collage or hybrid mutations, we are caught between something we ate and something we thought, located within that communicatory lag between the stomach and the brain.

this particular construction is made from cubes of glitter. we used video game physics engines for our structural form-finding and for determining collision detection between the blocks. they are piled up to produce a sort of semi-vaulted structure that is frozen a moment before it completely settles and becomes stable. interactive lights and projections are mapped onto the form, further undermining the stability of the object.

the light installation

each block numbered

the colors changing

building the blocks with 3D software

software rendering

software rendering

drawing