Calin Segal

Calin Segal is a Romanian multidisciplinary artist and designer based in Paris. He studied at the Arts School D. Cuclin in his hometown of Galati and later attended the Ecole Speciale D’architecture in Paris. During his studies he specialized in robotic manufacturing and digital design. Initially planning to become an architect, Calin instead decided to pursue a self-guided path of research into interactive and generative art. He co-founded the In-Dialog collective, a multidisciplinary research and development studio exploring the intersection of art, technology, and design. Calin is actively involved in all aspects of the creative process, from concept to implementation. His skills range from design and craftsmanship to coding and 3D modeling. Despite being at the beginning of his career, Calin has already produced a number of thought-provoking projects, including the interactive pavilion “Digital Mental Transposition,” which was created for the Noui Blach Paris 2018 and exhibited at the Park de la Villette. Also he co-created “Path to Heaven,” which was presented as part of a residency at the Enric Miralles Foundation in Barcelona 2020. Other notable projects include the VR experience “Planet LEV,” created in partnership with the LEV art festival and presented at the LEV – Matadero festival in Madrid in 2021 and was recently the winner of the S+T+Arts Vojext Residency 2023.

Description of the residency

Born out of a simple inquiry, Binary Deconstruction offers a reflective exploration of the possible impact that the mechanisms of encoding and decoding information have on our cognitive patterns, and on our ability to think abstractly.

Visitors are encouraged to interact with a robotic device that scans their biometric data, including height, eye colour, face geometry, and temperature. The device then converts these data into a unique sculptural object that represents their physical identity at a particular moment in their lives. Throughout the process, participants have the opportunity to witness the transformation of their data into aesthetic properties, such as volume and composition, which serve as the blueprint for their personalized sculpture.

Accompanying the physical installation is a virtual reality world that takes participants on an immersive and interactive journey, filled with scattered memories and fragmented imagery. This digital experience creates a space for personal interpretation and introspection, allowing the participant to engage with a generated totem – their personalized sculpture – in their own unique way. The journey culminates with the unveiling of this totem, providing a different way to experience the object.Binary Deconstruction encourages reflection and dialogue on the role of technology in creative production and addresses the ethical implications of using personal data in art. The installation invites visitors to contemplate the multifaceted nature of data in our ever-evolving world. Emphasizing a human-centered approach to technology, the interactive experience explores alternative formats for data storage that bridge the gap between the physical and digital form.

6th March to 5th May 2023
This project was co-produced by Calin Segal and V2_Lab for the Unstable Media as part of the Realities In Transition residencies, 2023.