Digital Arts and Culture 2009

Recent developments in light emitting diode (LED) production technology mean that high numbers of LEDs can now be used at costs that are no longer prohibitive. This paper looks at various creative and artistic applications of three-dimensional grids of LEDs, when used to produce imagery and volumetric visualisations in three physical dimensions. We focus on two research projects by digital arts group Squidsoup that seek to take advantage of the affordances of such a system. Of particular interest is the additional possibilities granted by the third physical dimension: whether the fact that the visuals inhabit a virtual layer anchored within real space adds to the affective possibilities of digital visualisation systems. The two projects have been publicly exhibited and use an existing LED grid system, NOVA, developed by ETH Zurich.