Affinis
As humans, we are never fully aware of our role in the universe. Just as honeybees buzz from flower to flower, unknowingly participating in the eloquent symbiosis of pollination, we scurry through our lives unaware of the painting to which we contribute. We follow immediate motivations; we move as a herd. Only with an objective external perspective would we ever begin to understand the significance of our lives within humanity. Affinis is an allegory of this unobtainable perspective. Initially, we see individuals, call them Affinits, moving towards a center of attraction until their demise of old age. Behind them trails their slowly fading mark on the world, representing their brief and fleeting influence. As the system ages, the population of Affinits increases and faint images begin to appear in their wake. But a complete image never fully materializes and any segments revealed are temporary and vague.
The name Affinis is taken from the Latin route for affinity, which describes a similarity in characteristics suggesting a relationship or resemblance in structure. Tha anology is as follows: given loose control over the individuals in the system, a viewer will naturally try to illuminate areas that appear of interest to them. Brighter color regions or distinct shape emerging will inherently generate interest. At the same time, the simple-minded Affinits will follow their programatic 'instinct' to be attracted to centerswhere the viewer clicks. In this way there is a structural similiarty between the viewer and the Affinits. If this is such a fundamental similiarty, how different can their two existences really be?
When viewing Affinis, try experimenting with different configurations of attraction points. Just hold the mouse in one place for a while and watch the whole system converge on that point. Try clicking all over the image to create swarms and better illuminate the image. Or try to create a border of points by clicking around the edges. Try transitioning between images in the later stages of the system.Getting the full experience requires patience, as the system requires time to develop.
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Source code: Affinis
Built with Processing
