N is one of the pioneering works developed by the studio, first unveiled in 2010 as an immersive mapping installation at NODE Festival in Modena. By integrating real-time environmental data, N foreshadowed the later practice of the studio emphasising the interconnectedness of all elements, attempting to suggest a novel perspective on the world.

N finds its main output in an audiovisual mapping projected onto a building facade. Developed in openFrameworks, the software comprises 3 main modules - net’s behaviour, particle laws and fluid dynamics, each impacted and transformed by real-time environmental inputs. The data are computed in OpenCL and rendered through shaders.

The first version of N has been commissioned by NODE Festival in Modena, one of the first occasions where we came in contact with the festival. The mapping was located on the facade of the inner courtyard of Palazzo Santa Margherita and coincided with a performance by a still little-known Ryoji Ikeda. N was set to react in real-time to the music of Ikeda’s show, creating distortions and ruptures in the visualised grid shape. Subsequent performances featured live music by our sound designer, Riccardo Bazzoni. 

Every element of the piece is thus created in real-time. Always culminating in a unique and ever-changing experience, the installation acts as a living organism. A shapeshifter, collecting and breathing new life into the different inputs collected.

A refined iteration of N debuted at the 2016 Lumina Festival in Cascais (PT), marking its final public presentation. On this occasion, the work introduced a new dynamic element: the movement of the net responded to environmental stimuli, in particular to wind. Acquired through special wind sensors, the data included the strength and direction of the wind, then transmitted to the main software through an Arduino. The collected elements influenced the speed and movement of particles in the piece.

These values not only affected the visuals but also shaped the accompanying soundscape, with data transmitted in OSC to the generative patch created in Max/MSP.

This synthesis of audiovisual elements impacted by environmental stimuli showcased N's ability to transcend its form, embodying an ever-evolving dialogue with its surroundings.