Epiphyte Chamber. The Aleph Project. By Philip Beesley

Canadian office PBAI Philip Beesley Architect Inc. mimics human sensations through Epiphyte Chamber. The project explores complex relationships existing in the world, from microorganisms to galaxies.

Epiphyte Chamber. Photography © Philip Beesley Architect.

Epiphyte Chamber is envisioned as an archipelago of interconnected halo-like masses that mimic human sensations through subtle, coordinated movements. Across each floating island, densely interwoven structures and delicate canopies made of thousands of lightweight digitally-fabricated components are drawn together in nearly-synchronized breathing and whispers. Audiences walk into highly sensual, intimate sculptural spaces that support small clusters of activity interlinking into larger gathering areas. This experimental new work explores intersections between media art, interactive distributed mechatronics and synthetic biology.

Epiphyte Chamber is part of the inaugural Aleph Exhibition at the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul, Korea. The Aleph Exhibition opens the gate for creativity and magnifies the minute. The contents of the exhibit illustrate the various complexifying effects that exist anywhere from microorganism to galaxies as can be found through observing stars in the sky or observing symbiotic relationships among objects. The exhibition illustrates how a minute change can lead to drastic variations in the future.

The work is currently on display through March 16, 2014.

Venue.- Gallery 7, Media Lab, Multi-Project Hall, M-Floor Lobby. Seoul. Korea.
Dates.- Nov.12,2013 - Mar.16,2014.

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Philip Beesley

Philip Beesley is a professor in the School of Architecture at the University of Waterloo. A practitioner of architecture and digital media art, he was educated in visual art at Queen’s University, in technology at Humber College, and in architecture at the University of Toronto. At Waterloo he serves as Director for the Integrated Group for Visualization, Design and Manufacturing, and as Director for Riverside Architectural Press. He also holds the position of Examiner at University College London. His Toronto-based practice PBAI is an interdisciplinary design firm that combines public buildings with exhibition design, stage and lighting projects. The studio’s methods incorporate industrial design, digital prototyping, and mechatronics engineering. Philip Beesley’s work is widely cited in the rapidly expanding technology of responsive architecture. He has authored and edited eight books and appeared on the cover of Artificial Life (MIT), LEONARDO and AD journals. Features include national CBC news, Casa Vogue, WIRED, and a series of TED talks. His work was selected to represent Canada at the 2010 Venice Biennale for Architecture, and he has been recognized by the Prix de Rome in Architecture, VIDA 11.0, FEIDAD, two Governor General’s Awards and as a Katerva finalist. Beesley’s funding includes core CFI, SSHRC, NSERC and Canada Council for the Arts grants.

Professor, School of Architecture, University of Waterloo
Director, Integrated Group for Visualization, Design and Manufacturing, University of Waterloo
Chair, Association for Computer-Aided Design in Architecture ACADIA 2013 Adaptive Architecture
Director, Riverside Architectural Press

Published on: December 22, 2013

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