
Fragile Systems
2023
generative art
JavaScript, GLSL
Algorythms, Oslo
Fragile Systems is an ongoing generative art project that explores the perpetual tension between human aspirations for order and the inherent chaos of natural systems. First exhibited at Algorythms in Oslo in 2023 as a monumental 15 x 5 meter curved projection, the work investigates how algorithmic processes can visualize the delicate balance between structure and dissolution that characterizes both constructed and organic environments.
The series employs algorithms that simulate the dynamics of systems under stress, where carefully constructed patterns gradually succumb to forces of entropy and decay. These digital processes mirror the ways natural phenomena—erosion, weather, biological decomposition—continuously work against human efforts to impose lasting order on the physical world. The curved projection format at Algorythms created an immersive environment where viewers could observe these competing forces playing out across architectural scale, emphasizing the vulnerability of even our most ambitious organizational systems.
Fragile Systems at Algorythms, Oslo 2023
© Bjørn Staal
Following the initial installation, the project expanded into a series of prints that translate the temporal dynamics of the digital work into static forms. These printed editions capture specific moments within the algorithmic progression, freezing instances where order and chaos achieve temporary equilibrium before continuing their eternal dance. The transition from large-scale projection to intimate print format reflects the project's central theme—the fragility of systems across all scales, from the monumental to the personal.
