e(x)ternal

interactive procedural video art
spring 2025

A visual piece about the pressure of not knowing what I really want or who I really am, when I’m eternally thinking about what others might want or how others might see me instead. It drifts between states—shifting, unresolved— trying to find identity under all the noise, but never quite being free from external forces.

e(x)ternal is displayed on a screen, with two metal podiums in front of the screen. Users are invited to watch how the visual is swirling and changing, ever in flux, even without interaction, showing how uncertain my identity is already when I’m alone.

Then, if the right podium is touched, the turbulence of the movement is increased and the fluidity becomes more chaotic. If the left podium is touched, the colors shift darker, and more texture and grit is added to the piece. These changes show how external influences like friends and family play a large part in my uncertainty and indecision.

A third, special interaction is triggered when two people are touching both podiums and also touching each other (e.g. by holding hands). The piece rapidly changes color with each touch. This emphasizes the power of close connection with others and its ability to influence my identity.

technical details

Software: TouchDesigner, ESP32 (Arduino IDE)
Hardware: Mac Mini, ESP32, (generic) MPR121 capacitive touch

Each podium has an ESP32 and a capacitive touch sensor connected to the podium metal itself. When a podium is touched, the ESP32 sends a signal via ESP-NOW to a third ESP32 connected to the Mac Mini, which receives the information and changes the corresponding TouchDesigner variable to display the visual change.