Chengkai Xu

9d8f6900cdfe8493c89f4e8b14e3f90.jpg

Project Name: LightLoop.js

Solo Work / 5 days / Interactive Media

Online Experience Link:

(camera required)

LightLoop.js

Source Code:

GitHub - ShinghoiXu/LightLoop_js: An Ongoing Project Interpret Lights into Sounds

Part 1

41b0b2d5b76d9214ff0e509eab3f1d9.jpg

I often look out the window at night because nights always spark my creativity and I often stay up late to do something creative. As you can see in the left photo, it's a typical urban flat with glass windows. As night falls, people turn on the lights, one by one. Inspired by Arne Svenson's The Neighbors, I began to observe the patterns of light in the windows, attempting to sense my neighbors' daily lives.

Every night, the lights follow a certain pattern. Each person living in that small cell (from my perspective) has their own daily routines. I try to guess their lifestyles by the patterns of lights and I can also see how many people are still up late with me (I'm not alone).

Everyday life is a cycle of ups and downs. However, when weekends and life transitions come around, the cycle shifts. Sitting by the window and observing the lights turn on and off, I can almost taste the bitterness and sweetness of different people's daily routines hidden in the abstract light patterns.

Time-lapse Video through My Window

Time-lapse Video through My Window

[Process of Sketching with my Grainy](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/secure.notion-static.com/dbedb2ab-47f8-4d98-bfa3-8518c0d0869c/LightLoopPart1ProcessExport.mp4)

Process of Sketching with my Grainy

My Sketch

My Sketch

Part 2

From a macro perspective, it's like a huge orchestra and each window (with the light in it) emits its unique sound. A flat building looks like a huge muted Novation Launchpad Grid. People turn on and off the lights according to certain abstract patterns, just like what a DJ does in a performance. When I squint my eyes, I see cells of lights, pure shining rectangles containing possibilities.

A flat building looks like a huge muted launchpad grid.

A flat building looks like a huge muted launchpad grid.

In my dream of this reality, I can hear the beats of everyday life. So, why not create the beats in my mind according to the light patterns and pay tribute to the repetitive yet unique everyday life?