Sandbox - Driessens & Verstappen

Sandbox is a diorama in which wind continuously transforms a bed of sand. The intention is not to make a downscaled simulation of an existing desert but to build a generative system in which concrete materials (sand and wind) are the shaping elements. The fans are switched on and off individually by means of a special algorithm. The viewer can see rushing particles and sand drifts generating typical slopes. Now and then, dust devils and avalanches appear, as do lees where lightweight particles seem to dance over a solid surface. The Amsterdam-based artist couple Erwin Driessens and Maria Verstappen have developed a multifaceted oeuvre of software, machines and objects. Their research focuses on the possibilities that physical, chemical and computer algorithms offer for the development of image-generating processes.