Bjørn Staal

Bjørn Staal is an artist and software developer based in Oslo, Norway.

His work explores the dynamic interactions between computational systems, human perception & behavior. With more than a decade of experience in multidisciplinary design and software development, Staal co-founded the experimental art and design studio Void in 2015. Focused mainly on the development of large-scale interactive installations, Void has gained international recognition for its work at the intersection of design, architecture, technology, and art.

Since leaving the studio in 2023, Bjørn has focused on his own artistic practice, exploring how algorithms can enrich our understanding of what it means to be human in an age where more and more of our agency is being outsourced. Staal’s work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, as part of online and physical exhibitions as well as installations in public spaces. In September 2024, Staal had his first solo exhibition at Wintercircus in Ghent, Belgium.

0554, Oslo

+47 412 32 199

@bgstaal        / Github

@_nonfigurativ_ / Instagram

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The Face We Had

2023

generative art, interactive

JavaScript, GLSL

Fxhash

Project Page

The Face We Had is a series of generative, moving sculptures attempting to express the artists personal thoughts, experiences and inclinations related to meditative and altered states of consciousness. In a non-descriptive way, the piece aims to reflect the always changing nature of mind through patterns of movement and assemblages of form, color and organic shapes, endlessly revolving around a perceived point of origin.

Although not intended as literal depictions, the elements interact in a way that could be interpreted as dance-like interactions between thought patterns, mental energy, feelings, fragments of memories and layers of personal identity. Each sculpture becomes a visual meditation on the nature of mind itself, where the constant flux of appearing and disappearing trails alludes to the continuous arising and passing away of mental phenomena. Occasionally, certain formations appear to pierce through the layered constructions of personal identity, suggesting moments where the boundaries of selfhood become permeable and the illusion of a fixed self momentarily dissolves within the flowing patterns of experience.

The work employs a GPGPU (General Purpose GPU) particle system in three.js to generate real-time particle simulations with ribbon trails. The system leverages shader based processing to calculate particle physics, position updates, and trail rendering simultaneously, enabling smooth performance of complex particle behaviors within the browser environment.

© Bjørn Staal