Variations (FIRE)

2026

Variations (FIRE) continues a series of works referencing elemental forces to explore themes of impatience. Here, the subject is fire.

Sixteen screens are arranged linearly, each displaying an animated match flame. A digital hourglass contains a randomly determined countdown. In silence, the countdown proceeds steadily. As the surrounding sound becomes sufficiently intense, the hourglass tips and the digital sand begins to fall. When silence and noise reach a dynamic equilibrium, the hourglass becomes unstable, repeatedly changing direction or remaining on its side, potentially preventing the countdown from ever reaching its end.

When the countdown is completed, a man runs across the landscape of flames, transforming them all into a new, unified color.

The work combines surrealist and expressionist approaches with a visual language shaped by technical research and constraint. Its references are simultaneously autobiographical, universal, and mythological: the figure running through fire evokes Icarus, while the relentless countdown recalls Sisyphus. Together, they suggest a persistent pressure to move forward, progress, and succeed, while the timer introduces an existential dimension to these impulses. The delicate balance between silence and noise required to sustain the flames suggests that instability itself may be part of the alchemy necessary for the system to remain unchanged.

The work emerged from extensive research into Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) algorithms. Each flame responds to a specific range of sound frequencies, translating the surrounding acoustic environment into individual movement. Two versions were produced: a sixteen-screen version measuring 91 centimeters in length, and a smaller four-screen version.

concept, design, fabrication, programming : Jason Cook

materials: wood · acrylic · 16x TFT displays · hacked digital hourglass · stepper motor · custom electronics (RP2040 · Teensy 4.0 · 16x ESP32-S3)

dimensions: 91 x 12.5 x 6.5 cm

four-screen version

concept, design, fabrication, programming : Jason Cook

materials: wood · acrylic · 4x TFT displays · LED timer · custom electronics (RP2040 · 4x ESP32-S3)

dimensions: 91 x 12.5 x 6.5 cm