Curiosity Blocks Digitaalitaide by Yuko Suzuki

Curiosity Blocks Digitaalitaide by Yuko Suzuki is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 Hopeapalkinto A' Design Award in Generatiivinen muotoilu Competition Category.

HopeaGeneratiivinen· 2025

Curiosity Blocks Digitaalitaide

by Yuko Suzuki

Client: NTT InterCommunication Center (ICC)

Hopeapalkinto A' Design Award Winner in Generatiivinen Category

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View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Curiosity Blocks Digitaalitaide

Tämä teos luotiin näyttelyyn, jonka tavoitteena on esitellä lapsille koodauksen iloa. Se on animaatio, joka käyttää anamorfosi-nimistä tekniikkaa, jossa kuvat vääristetään etukäteen näyttämään oikealta heijastuessaan lieriömäisessä peilissä; käytännössä liikkuva anamorfosi. Useat animaatio-osat on yhdistetty esittämään ajatusta siitä, että uusia löytöjä syntyy, kun uteliaisuus yhdistyy ja risteää. Taiteilija, joka on myös graafinen taiteilija, rinnasti painalevyn ja vedoksen välisen suhteen näytön kuvan ja peilin kuvan väliseen suhteeseen.

The Recognition

About the Hopeapalkinto A' Design Award

Curiosity Blocks Digitaalitaide on Hopeapalkinnon A' Design Award -voittaja, äärimmäisen arvostettu tunnustus, joka myönnetään huippuluokan, upeille ja vaikuttaville designeille. Hopeavoittajat ovat äärimmäisen loistavia ja erittäin luovia teoksia, jotka havainnollistavat suunnittelijoidensa erinomaista asiantuntemusta, lahjakkuutta ja terävyyttä. Curiosity Blocks Digitaalitaide:n odotetaan olevan ihana, esimerkillinen teos, joka on huomattavan ammattimainen ja syvästi innovatiivinen. Tämä Hopeapalkinnon A' Design Award -voittajadesign on erittäin merkittävä, ihailtu keksintö, joka hyödyttää taiteen, tieteen, designin ja teknologian rajojen laajentamista. Curiosity Blocks Digitaalitaide on laajalti kadehdittu luomus, joka herättää haluja, tuo myönteisiä tunteita ja sytyttää hämmästystä ja ihmetystä.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: This work is an animation that uses a technique called anamorphosis, in which images are drawn that are distorted in advance so that they will look correct when reflected in a cylindrical mirror.
The artist used a technique of combining multiple animation parts to imagine how curiosity connects and overlaps to create new knowledge and discoveries.
Dimensions & Packaging: 1920 × 1920 pixel, 5 minutes 42 seconds, 2 pieces
Tags: Generative Art, Coding, Trick Art
Production Technology: This work was created using a programming language called Processing. The animation is designed with a structure that combines multiple parts like blocks, and has a layered structure for each color like a print. 16 different animation parts and their variations were created, and the program transformed them from a flat surface to a circular shape.
Design Challenge: The most difficult part was converting the flat animation into a circular animation using a program, and then experimenting to see if the design would look visually interesting when projected onto the mirror.
We projected a number of patterns onto the mirror and adjusted the overall balance to determine the optimal shape. This process involved trial and error to get a visually appealing and consistent result, and it took a lot of time and effort, especially adjusting the design when reflected in the mirror.
Research: In this study, we used a program to distort an image and observed how it changed when projected onto a cylindrical mirror. Through various observations and feedback, we were able to gain a deeper understanding of how the distorted image was shaped by the mirror, and we confirmed that it was possible to create visually appealing and innovative designs. In addition, the animation incorporated mathematical elements (such as trigonometric functions and vectors) that students will learn in junior high and high school, allowing them to visually experience concepts they will learn in the future.
Inspiration: The artist, who is also a printmaker, has overlaid the relationship between a block and a print with the relationship between an image reflected on a display and an image reflected in a mirror, incorporating into the animation the way that, like a multi-colored print, each color has its own unique layer and overlaps to form a layered structure.
The title "Blocks" contains connotations such as "a mass," "a section divided into grids," "a series of commands in a program," and "a woodblock print."
Project Duration: This work was exhibited at "ICC Kids Program 2024 you().code().world()." held at NTT InterCommunication Center in Tokyo from July 23rd to August 25th, 2024.
Operation Flow: In this animation, pre-distorted images are used so that they appear in the correct form when reflected in a cylindrical mirror. The interaction occurs primarily as the user observes in front of the mirror, with the deformation of the animation changing based on the angle and viewpoint of the mirror. The interaction is visual and depends on how the user perceives the image. To achieve better results, it is crucial to carefully adjust the patterns of distortion and the timing of the animation. The performance stands out due to its consistent visual deformation and movement, providing a strong visual impact through the mirror.
Image Credits: Image #1: Photo courtesy NTT InterCommunication Center, Curiosity Blocks, 2024.
Image #2: Photo courtesy NTT InterCommunication Center, Curiosity Blocks, 2024.
Image #3: Photo courtesy NTT InterCommunication Center, Curiosity Blocks, 2024.
Image #4: Photo courtesy NTT InterCommunication Center, Curiosity Blocks, 2024.