Mirror boxes are a series of handheld infinity spaces fitted with various LED and OLED lighting systems powered by an Arduino Uno and Escudo El Dos.
Building off Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirrored Room – The Souls of Millions of Light Years Away, 2013, Mirror Boxes attempts to recreate the illusion of infinite space as a scale-able and tangible object that is more accessible for viewers.
This project uses the principles of how cinematic devices are constructed in the context of capturing, reorganizing, and delivering light phenomena. Devices like the zoetrope, or the widely popular kaleidoscope have allowed for any viewer access a simple method of viewing optical illusion using handheld methods. In the case of Mirror Boxes, the optical phenomenon being reworked is the geometric properties of Gabriel’s Horn; a finite volume of space exhibiting the appearance of infinite surface area. Essentially, two opposing mirrors create the illusion of infinity by reflecting one another’s surface area, with the volume appearing to converge into blackness.
The design created in Adobe Illustrator, allows the box to be made from interlocking laser cut pieces of MDF. Hand cut squares of mirror are attached to the interior faces of each side. Each box contains a different lighting setup, either LED or OLED, and is controlled from an on-board microcontroller.
A hole on the front face of each box allows viewers to peer into the infinity space (or allow a camera phone lens through) and see the illusion. Boxes are light and small enough for the viewer to pickup and set on places of interest, creating a more interactive cinematic experience.
Phillip Rockerbie
To Hear A Shadow / 2019
Hive / 2018
Mirror Boxes / 2017
Day Break / 2016
Wall / 2015
