pop my bubble AR installation reveals how algorithms influence cultural visibility

Digital artist Pujarini Ghosh constructs Pop My Bubble AR space

Pop My Bubble is an augmented reality installation that explores the construction and deconstruction of identity through algorithmic content curation. Developed by creative technologist and artist Pujarini Ghosh, the work presents an immersive digital environment composed of visual fragments drawn from her social-media feed. As users interact with the AR-rendered space by popping virtual bubbles, the projections immediately reconfigure, illustrating the fluid and responsive nature of identity in algorithmically filtered spaces.

The project examines how algorithmic systems influence cultural visibility. After a geographic transition from Mumbai to New York, shifts in social-media feeds illustrated a gradual reduction in culturally specific content, replaced instead by regionally tailored recommendations. This transition serves as a case study in how algorithmic personalization can lead to cultural homogenization.

experiencing the different fragments of my social media bubble | all images by Ayush Soni

Pop My Bubble Examines How Algorithms Shape Digital Identity

The installation consists of an interactive AR universe generated from actual social-media inputs. Each floating sphere within the space represents a curated segment of the feed. When activated, these spheres register audience responses and immediately impact the visual composition, effectively turning individual digital behavior into a collective, real-time visual expression. The evolving projections reflect the cumulative influence of audience interaction, challenging static notions of personal digital identity.

Technically, Pop My Bubble combines augmented reality developed in Adobe Aero with real-time projections created using TouchDesigner. A web-socket connection facilitates live data transmission between audience devices and the projection system. Upon entering the space, visitors scan a QR code that launches the AR experience. User interaction with the AR bubbles leads to browser-based input, which is then translated into typographic and graphic changes on the projection surface, forming a continuous feedback loop between user behavior and environmental change. By presenting an ever-shifting projection landscape shaped by audience input, the installation by creative technologist Pujarini Ghosh highlights the dynamic and participatory nature of identity formation in digital environments, while foregrounding the role of algorithmic filtering in shaping cultural visibility.

interacting with the AR-rendered personal universe

interactive web experience that collects responses to expand the bubble

audience engaging with the dynamic visual projection while using their device for the AR experience

web experience controlling the dynamic visuals

project info:

name: Pop My Bubble
designer: Pujarini Ghosh | @pujarinighosh

photographer: Ayush Soni