Anima is an immersive audiovisual installation that explores the emotional relationship between humans and artificial entities through movement, texture, light, and sound. A luminous sphere suspended in space becomes a responsive presence, generating fluid visual patterns and evolving sonic environments that envelop the viewer.

The work employs a custom projection system in which imagery emanates from within the spherical object through a hemispherical lens. Both image and sound are generated in real time, responding to the entity’s perception of human presence. Through a continuous process of observation and reaction, Anima creates the illusion of an autonomous sensory being, inviting reflection on agency, intelligence, and the possibility of emotional connection with artificial systems.

I designed and developed the interactive audiovisual system that defines the current aesthetic and behavioural language of the installation, including its custom software, interactive sound design, and real-time visual composition. This system was integrated with the original work conceived by Frouke ten Velden and developed under the creative direction of onformative.

Anima has been presented internationally, including at Leeds Digital Festival (as part of The Lumen Prize), SXSW, FORMS, and GOGBOT. A permanent non-interactive version, managed by Studio Nick Verstand, is currently on display at Design Society in Shenzhen.

Credits

Anima is an interactive audiovisual installation developed through a collaboration between multiple artists, designers, and technologists. The project was originally conceived by Frouke ten Velden and developed under the creative direction of onformative.

My contribution consists of the design and development of the interactive audiovisual system that defines the current aesthetic and behavioural language of the work. This includes the custom software framework, real-time visual composition, interactive sound design, and audiovisual behaviour, integrated with the original system developed by onformative.

Anima has been exhibited internationally, including at Leeds Digital Festival (The Lumen Prize), SXSW, FORMS, and GOGBOT. A non-interactive version, managed by Studio Nick Verstand, is currently presented at Design Society in Shenzhen.

Collaborators

Frouke ten Velden — Concept & Original Design
onformative — Creative Direction & System Development
Pandelis Diamantides — Interactive Audiovisual System, Software Development, Sound Composition
Studio Nick Verstand — Production & Exhibition Management
Pufferfish Displays — Spherical Display Technology

Press

The Chicago Tribune (USA), 2016 - ANIMA mania: The coolest interactive exhibit at SXSW
The Creators Project (CHN), 2016 - 首届天漠音乐节上也有像样的艺术装置
Lumen Prize (UK), 2016 - ANIMA
CNET (Espagñol), 2014 - ANIMA una obra de arte inteligencia artificial SXSW
The Creators Project (DE), 2014 - Ein leuchtender Planet simuliert die Interaktion zwischen Mensch und künstlicher Intelligenz
The Creators Project (USA), 2014 - A Glowing Orb Simulats Interaction Between Humans And Artificial Intelligence
The Creators Project (NL), 2014 - ik zag gister ANIMA en ik werd er een beetje stil van