Depero Futuritici

June 2009 - December 2009
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Collaborators
Goutham Dindukurthi, Cory Garfin, Carlos Hurtado, Matt Mclean, Kana Otaki, Francisco Souki
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Project Sponsors
Museum of Art and Design and Perdorma 09
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Description
Re-imagining Balli Plastici, the ‘plastic dance’ created by Italian Futurist Fortunato Depero in 1918. The marionettes used in the dance encapsulate the Futurist ideal of machinery striving to break free of human control. Our goal is to digitize Depero’s puppets and develop a toolkit anyone can use to create their own Futurist-inspired ballets. Our efforts would move the marionettes beyond mere appreciation, propelling them continually forward as living art.
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Deliverables
-Create a 30 minute-long video performance for the Performa 09 arts festival in New York City
-Develop a software called ToyBox Futuristi anyone can create their own version of the ballet
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My Contribution
-Created 3D puppet models based on the Depero's original design
-Designed User Interface for the Toybox Futuristi
-Edited and rendered the 35min animation film for presenting at the performa 09



[Balli Plastici_Performa 09]

This scene is a part of Balli Plastici 35 mins animation film which presented to the Performa 09. The scene was recorded by Francisco Souki and Goutham Dindukurthi using the software, ToyBox Futuristi. I edited and polished this scene such as a color correction and lighting effect in the After effect.


[ToyBox Futuristi_Final UI Design]


There is no target audience for ToyBox Futuristi in terms of age, except that the end user must be able to use a computer or be aided in doing so.



We put a lot of effort into making sure that the user interface (UI) design is highly functional and user friendly in appearance and can appeal to all age groups. The style of the UI and the vivid color palette were inspired by Depero’s original work. We tried to apply his style of work as much as possible to the UI design, thinking that this would be a good opportunity to introduce his work and Futurism to everyone using this toolkit.



All of these artistic decisions are at the service of usability and, instead of being overpowering, are purposefully designed to enhance the user experience, accentuating the software features in a way that is consistent with the desired experience flow.

In the above images, the set backdrops and Toybox Futiristi logo were created by Kana Otaki.


[ToyBox Futuristi_UI Concept Design]


Concept UI designs with a different color scheme


[3D puppets]


I created 3D puppet models based on the Depero's original design. All 3D models were made by Maya.

This image was rendered by Matt Mclean.


To read more about the project, please visit Depero Futuristi's website.