CAOS is an interactive glass installation that explores instability, vulnerability, and chaotic behavior. The installation appears autonomous and responsive to audience engagement or environmental data, while not being solely controlled by human interaction. It embodies an evolving design that does not adhere to a fixed outcome. Chaos theory fascinates me as it contrasts our desire for a controllable, stable world, while also suggesting that even in instability, underlying patterns exist. The idea of an environment that is always evolving, never reaching a final state, inspires me. Visitors become part of the installation’s narrative, through their engagement and experiencing its evolution.

CHAOS THEORY
Chaos theory is integrated in the interaction design, using the logistic map to create an interaction that evolves between stable and chaotic states. The logistic map is a mathematical equation that models how populations grow and stabilize over time. It’s a simple and powerful example of how complex, chaotic behaviors can arise from deterministic rules. The behavior of the logistic map is highly sensitive to its growth rate parameter, ( r ), which governs whether the system stabilizes, oscillates, or becomes chaotic. By mapping sound sensor values to this growth rate parameter, and using the product of the formula for, the installation will generate responses that evolve between stable, periodic, and chaotic states. Quieter sounds might induce more stable, predictable behaviors, while louder or more erratic sounds push the system toward chaotic, unpredictable reactions.

PERFORMANCE
The installation is designed as an interactive system that can also be played as an instrument through MaxMSP. Using Max, individual modules of the installation can be communicated with and influenced from a central point, enabling partial control over its behavior without overriding its inherent unpredictability.

The goal is to perform with the installation, creating a collaboration between the performer and the system. By preserving the chaotic programming, the installation retains its autonomy, making the performance a shared exploration rather than a total domination.

SONIC RANGE
The tone and movement of glass are influenced by several factors, including its shape, length, thickness, material composition, colorants, and surface treatments. Borosilicate glass is designed for durability and thermal resistance, which leads to higher internal damping. This reduces the amplitude of vibrations, softening and muting the sound. In contrast, soft glass has lower damping, allowing for stronger and more sustained vibrations. Soft glass also has a less rigid atomic structure compared to borosilicate glass. This flexibility means it can sustain vibrations over a broader frequency range, contributing to its clearer and more resonant sound. Leaded glass is even denser and more elastic than soft glass, producing the clearest and brightest tone among the different types of glass.
Surface treatments and colorants also affect the acoustic properties. For example, sandblasting roughens the glass surface, slightly dampening resonance and producing a more muted sound. Similarly, adding cobalt which is used to create blue glass, increases the glass’s density, subtly deepening and softening the tone.

RELATION TO CHIME
My previous work CHIME explored the resonant frequencies of glass strings, utilizing the fragile and flexible nature of glass to generate movement. By using an algorithmic composition, I assigned each sculpture its own behavioral parameters, revealing how a simple system could produce unpredictable outcomes. CHIME laid the groundwork for exploring the relationship between sound and material, CAOS draws from these explorations of glass resonance but shifts focus to chaos theory, pushing the sonic boundaries of glass, material, and interaction design.

CAOS is an interactive glass installation by Jeanine Verloop, commissioned by TETEM.

Jeanine Verloop
ARTIST
Concept Development, Interaction Design, Hardware Development, Assembly Electronics & Integration, Glasswork, Lead Production.

Nathan Marcus
CREATIVE TECHNOLOGIST
(Embedded) Software Development, Hardware Motion Sensor.

Loden Rietveld
PCB DESIGNER

Mark & Tamara Locock
HOT MARKS HOTSHOP, OOTMARSUM
Experiment & Production Furnace Glass

Davy de Jong
GENERAL PRODUCTION ASSISTANCE

Juanita Pineda Oviedo
TETEM PROJECT COORDINATOR

Kobin Maijd
VIDEOGRAPHER

Caio Vita
FONT DESIGNER