actually this is one of the many processes Nature has of intricate
processes Nature has of intricate
processes Nature has of intricate behavior that has this beautiful visual
behavior that has this beautiful visual
behavior that has this beautiful visual outcome it would almost make us believe
outcome it would almost make us believe
outcome it would almost make us believe that there’s some grand design behind it
that there’s some grand design behind it
that there’s some grand design behind it some thing that’s keeping track of all
some thing that’s keeping track of all
some thing that’s keeping track of all the movements and orchestrating the
the movements and orchestrating the
the movements and orchestrating the system as a whole well there’s not this
system as a whole well there’s not this
system as a whole well there’s not this intricate behavior is all created on the
intricate behavior is all created on the
intricate behavior is all created on the level of the individual one bird can do
level of the individual one bird can do
level of the individual one bird can do that when he’s got friends
so now you guys might be thinking all
so now you guys might be thinking all right a guy with a beard talking about
right a guy with a beard talking about
right a guy with a beard talking about bird behavior he must be a biologist or
bird behavior he must be a biologist or
bird behavior he must be a biologist or a bird fanatic I’m sorry for your bird
a bird fanatic I’m sorry for your bird
a bird fanatic I’m sorry for your bird lovers out here I’m not a biologist and
lovers out here I’m not a biologist and
lovers out here I’m not a biologist and I’m also not going to talk about bird
I’m also not going to talk about bird
I’m also not going to talk about bird behavior I’m a graphic designer
behavior I’m a graphic designer
behavior I’m a graphic designer and what I do is I create light
and what I do is I create light
and what I do is I create light installations and in these installations
installations and in these installations
installations and in these installations I control every single part I designed
I control every single part I designed
I control every single part I designed this spectacle from start to finish and
this spectacle from start to finish and
this spectacle from start to finish and I know exactly what’s going to happen
I know exactly what’s going to happen
I know exactly what’s going to happen inside of this installation you might
inside of this installation you might
inside of this installation you might find something like this one big
find something like this one big
find something like this one big computer that’s controlling the whole
computer that’s controlling the whole
computer that’s controlling the whole system and I’m controlling that computer
system and I’m controlling that computer
system and I’m controlling that computer I perform with it and what it means is
I perform with it and what it means is
I perform with it and what it means is that while I’m performing performing
that while I’m performing performing
that while I’m performing performing there are no surprises to me I know
there are no surprises to me I know
there are no surprises to me I know what’s gonna happen and I can’t be
what’s gonna happen and I can’t be
what’s gonna happen and I can’t be surprised myself but you know who still
surprised myself but you know who still
surprised myself but you know who still surprises me every time those birds so
surprises me every time those birds so
surprises me every time those birds so yeah I’m gonna I’m gonna leave you guys
yeah I’m gonna I’m gonna leave you guys
yeah I’m gonna I’m gonna leave you guys on this one so you can count the cables
on this one so you can count the cables
on this one so you can count the cables there a lot so losing the control and
there a lot so losing the control and
there a lot so losing the control and building something new that’s what I
building something new that’s what I
building something new that’s what I wanted I wanted to something that
wanted I wanted to something that
wanted I wanted to something that surprised me and what I was thinking
surprised me and what I was thinking
surprised me and what I was thinking can I create this flock of birds can I
can I create this flock of birds can I
can I create this flock of birds can I can I do what nature does when they make
can I do what nature does when they make
can I do what nature does when they make birds do what they do when they flock
could I create my own individual being
could I create my own individual being that when put in a group will creates a
that when put in a group will creates a
that when put in a group will creates a new thing with a beautiful visual
new thing with a beautiful visual
new thing with a beautiful visual outcome could I lose this control and
outcome could I lose this control and
outcome could I lose this control and surprise myself
luckily for me biologists have already
luckily for me biologists have already came up with the rules the simple rules
came up with the rules the simple rules
came up with the rules the simple rules that would mimic this flocking behavior
that would mimic this flocking behavior
that would mimic this flocking behavior and looking at these rules I realized
and looking at these rules I realized
and looking at these rules I realized that those rules are actually quite
that those rules are actually quite
that those rules are actually quite simple if you look at the rules for one
simple if you look at the rules for one
simple if you look at the rules for one bird those rules would be small enough
bird those rules would be small enough
bird those rules would be small enough to programming them into a small
to programming them into a small
to programming them into a small microprocessor so here’s what we did
microprocessor so here’s what we did
microprocessor so here’s what we did every animal needs a brain a body a
every animal needs a brain a body a
every animal needs a brain a body a means of communication and a behavior so
means of communication and a behavior so
means of communication and a behavior so for our animal our being we used for
for our animal our being we used for
for our animal our being we used for essence brain we used a microprocessor
essence brain we used a microprocessor
essence brain we used a microprocessor and sensors for its communication we
and sensors for its communication we
and sensors for its communication we used a radio frequency transceiver for
used a radio frequency transceiver for
used a radio frequency transceiver for its energy source a battery and for its
its energy source a battery and for its
its energy source a battery and for its body a printed circuit board with a
body a printed circuit board with a
body a printed circuit board with a wooden shell and now the behavior all
wooden shell and now the behavior all
wooden shell and now the behavior all animals or pretty much anything here has
animals or pretty much anything here has
animals or pretty much anything here has a set of rules which govern their lives
a set of rules which govern their lives
a set of rules which govern their lives so just as as as we we needed to set
so just as as as we we needed to set
so just as as as we we needed to set some ground rules and the grooves the
some ground rules and the grooves the
some ground rules and the grooves the the first rules were something like
the first rules were something like
the first rules were something like listen to your neighbor observe your
listen to your neighbor observe your
listen to your neighbor observe your surroundings if you hear something
surroundings if you hear something
surroundings if you hear something respond and if it’s been quiet for a
respond and if it’s been quiet for a
respond and if it’s been quiet for a long time make up a message and then if
long time make up a message and then if
long time make up a message and then if there’s nothing around go to sleep they
there’s nothing around go to sleep they
there’s nothing around go to sleep they run on batteries right so we had the
run on batteries right so we had the
run on batteries right so we had the ground rules there now we needed to give
ground rules there now we needed to give
ground rules there now we needed to give them the power of two choice to choose
them the power of two choice to choose
them the power of two choice to choose and the way we did this is we created
and the way we did this is we created
and the way we did this is we created many messages they could pick from and
many messages they could pick from and
many messages they could pick from and it could pick from them in every order
it could pick from them in every order
it could pick from them in every order or means that they found necessary and
or means that they found necessary and
or means that they found necessary and also now they were allowed to ignore
also now they were allowed to ignore
also now they were allowed to ignore their neighbor or to not speak when they
their neighbor or to not speak when they
their neighbor or to not speak when they felt like it they did always have to go
felt like it they did always have to go
felt like it they did always have to go to sleep though
to sleep though
to sleep though no discussion and then we want one step
no discussion and then we want one step
no discussion and then we want one step forward further because in nature
forward further because in nature
forward further because in nature nothing is alike right all bird all
nothing is alike right all bird all
nothing is alike right all bird all birds are different we are different
birds are different we are different
birds are different we are different everything’s different we’re all sort of
everything’s different we’re all sort of
everything’s different we’re all sort of the same but not exactly the same and we
the same but not exactly the same and we
the same but not exactly the same and we wanted that too so the first individual
wanted that too so the first individual
wanted that too so the first individual we made we asked him to design his own
we made we asked him to design his own
we made we asked him to design his own shell
shell
shell we gave him a base shape to work with
we gave him a base shape to work with
we gave him a base shape to work with and we had him create variations upon
and we had him create variations upon
and we had him create variations upon this shell and all those variations
this shell and all those variations
this shell and all those variations became the housings for all of its
became the housings for all of its
became the housings for all of its friends to come and now they didn’t need
friends to come and now they didn’t need
friends to come and now they didn’t need us anymore
us anymore
us anymore right they would do what they would do
right they would do what they would do
right they would do what they would do and I couldn’t orchestrate or
and I couldn’t orchestrate or
and I couldn’t orchestrate or choreograph and I think it’s also time
choreograph and I think it’s also time
choreograph and I think it’s also time that you guys meet the individual before
that you guys meet the individual before
that you guys meet the individual before we go to the flock here it is the pixie
and now we were at the stage of
and now we were at the stage of multiplying this individual 1,500 of
multiplying this individual 1,500 of
multiplying this individual 1,500 of them we created all different or unique
them we created all different or unique
them we created all different or unique also uniquely looking and it was also
also uniquely looking and it was also
also uniquely looking and it was also time to pick its habitat we picked a
time to pick its habitat we picked a
time to pick its habitat we picked a forest in the Dutch province of Toronto
forest in the Dutch province of Toronto
forest in the Dutch province of Toronto and we installed them in the trees and
and we installed them in the trees and
and we installed them in the trees and then it was time to see what they would
then it was time to see what they would
then it was time to see what they would how they would behave in nature exactly
how they would behave in nature exactly
how they would behave in nature exactly two weeks ago we woke them up and here’s
two weeks ago we woke them up and here’s
two weeks ago we woke them up and here’s what happened
they talked they made up their own
they talked they made up their own messages they behaved as individuals but
messages they behaved as individuals but
messages they behaved as individuals but most of all they they were became part
most of all they they were became part
most of all they they were became part of their colony to live to live as one
of their colony to live to live as one
of their colony to live to live as one and is some greater than their parts and
finally I was able to sit there and
finally I was able to sit there and enjoy something I made not knowing what
enjoy something I made not knowing what
enjoy something I made not knowing what was gonna happen and see something new
was gonna happen and see something new
was gonna happen and see something new you know what surprised me the most when
you know what surprised me the most when
you know what surprised me the most when it was hot or cold or when it was rainy
it was hot or cold or when it was rainy
it was hot or cold or when it was rainy or foggy their behavior changed and that
or foggy their behavior changed and that
or foggy their behavior changed and that made me think when seasons change with
made me think when seasons change with
made me think when seasons change with their behavior change and if we created
their behavior change and if we created
their behavior change and if we created more of them would they split up into
more of them would they split up into
more of them would they split up into smaller colonies what if how would they
smaller colonies what if how would they
smaller colonies what if how would they internet interact with human life-forms
internet interact with human life-forms
internet interact with human life-forms what if I create another digital colony
what if I create another digital colony
what if I create another digital colony and put it next to it would they become
and put it next to it would they become
and put it next to it would they become friends but also it made me think how
friends but also it made me think how
friends but also it made me think how would it feel like what what would it
would it feel like what what would it
would it feel like what what would it feel like for us if we design our cities
feel like for us if we design our cities
feel like for us if we design our cities in a similar manner
in a similar manner
in a similar manner imagine street lights behaving like
imagine street lights behaving like
imagine street lights behaving like Pixies right imagine they could interact
Pixies right imagine they could interact
Pixies right imagine they could interact with you I think all I’m trying to say
with you I think all I’m trying to say
with you I think all I’m trying to say is how would our cities feel or wouldn’t
is how would our cities feel or wouldn’t
is how would our cities feel or wouldn’t it be nice if our cities would feel more
it be nice if our cities would feel more
it be nice if our cities would feel more like a forest
”
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