[paraidolia]
SPAM New Media Festival
Fall, 2024
In 1939, Soviet scientist Semyon Kirlian discovered a method of capturing the electromagnetic aura of objects by applying high-voltage current to items placed on a photographic plate. Kirlian revealed the coronal discharge enveloping everyday objects, creating a type of “spirit photography.” This work uses a similar principle to generate a constantly shifting animation throughout this year’s SPAM New Media Festival. Believed by some to be haunted by two workers who died here, electromagnetic sensors detect any unusual phenomena produced by entities residing within Georgetown Steam Plant. These sensors generate a unique set of random numbers tha...