On the Edge of Chaos

Chaos emerges spontaneously in even the simplest systems, and when it does, it renders those systems impossible to predict. What conditions must exist for chaos to arise? How does chaos differ from randomness? How does chaos relate to complexity? We’ll ponder these questions and describe how they relate to the interactive installations we build. In particular, we’ll discuss the fascinating boundary between order and chaos — an element we find ourselves returning to again and again in our work.

SPACEFILLER consists of artists Alexander Nagy and Alexander Miller, and is the result of their long time collaboration and pursuit of visual art, music, programming and math. They reside in Seattle, WA.

Through the use of generative algorithmic graphics, projection mapping and tactile interaction, SPACEFILLER seeks to establish venues for experimentation, play and discovery. By allowing viewers to manipulate the parameters of simulated natural systems, they create an opportunity to explore the delicate balance between order, chaos and randomness.

The name SPACEFILLER is a reference to a pattern in Conway’s Game of Life. The Game of Life is a mathematical model that displays emergent behavior. The name also relates to the artists’ desire to create immersive, disorienting spaces filled with light.