Morphovision

2006

Toshio Iwai (JP)
NHK Science & Technical Research Laboratories

Toshio Iwai breathes new life into a 19th-century invention. In 1829, Joseph Plateau created the so-called Anorthoscope that made it possible to generate optical illusions. A distorted image appears in its original form when it’s viewed through the slits made in a rotating disc.

As opposed to artificially generating 3D objects with computer graphics, “Morphovision” distorts real objects. Installation visitors can use a keypad to apply different lighting patterns to a miniature house. The type of distortion depends on the light pattern selected—for instance, one variant makes the house appear to be lopsided.

To achieve this effect, the miniature house is strobed by a beam of light synchronized to the rotation. “Morphovision” encourages installation visitors to give some thought to the essential nature and perception of images in the Digital Age.