João Beira and the future of visual shows

João Beira is a visual artist who combines art with software development to create unique and interactive visuals. For his installation ‘Gravity’12, he used a depth sensor camera located above the performer, while projecting an image on the floor. The image reacts in real time to the movement of the person dancing. A convoluted pattern consisting of white lines with a blue glow around them on a black background can be seen converging around the dancer as she lifts her hand up, before quickly propulsing away from her when she moves her hand closer to the floor. This can create some unique patterns, as the animations are not static and instead triggered directly by the performer instead. It creates a direct relationship between the 3D real world and the 2D image. Although for this installation it was limited to a small rectangle that was only used by the dancer, the technology opens up a whole new way of allowing the audience to interact with installations. By directly contributing, the audience will feel even more connected to the installation. This is super important because more often than not art is about sending a message with which the audience can connect with. Beira’s installation may seem quite simple at first, but the potential of the technology is much bigger.