TYPE + CODE Series

Flowers Too Version 2.0: Trans-disciplinary computational fl oral art to mixed reality/artificial intelligence
Floral design is the art of using plant materials and fl owers to create visually striking compositions and displays. Historicalrecords indicate that fl ower arrangements date back to ancient Egypt, where decorative uses of fl owers were noted asearly as 2500 BCE. A signifi cant cultural milestone occurred in the 1450s with the publication of the Gutenberg Bible, thefi rst major book printed in Europe using movable metal type. It included illustrated fl owers that enhanced its aesthetic andartistic appeal. In modern fl oral design, several elements are integrated, including line, form, space, texture, color,balance, proportion, rhythm, contrast, harmony, and unity. The "Flowers Too Version 2.0" project offers a contemporaryinterpretation of traditional fl oral design by proposing a generative graphic art system that utilizes mathematicalexpressions, computer vision, sound, and video libraries. This innovative approach expands the scope of fl oral design toinclude textiles, letter art, typography, generative self-portraits, mixed reality, and artifi cial intelligence using face detectionalgorithms. It provides an immersive experiential fl oral design that can be experienced in physical spaces and displayedon large screens equipped with external web cameras. The project draws conceptual inspiration from the KoreanContemporary Christian song "꽃들도" (Flowers), which conveys themes in its lyrics, such as the resilience of nature andthe promise of joy and renewal. The narrative emphasizes the healing power of art while exploring themes of love,patience, and perseverance. Floral typography merges typography, calligraphy, and lettering to create dynamic designsincorporating fl oral elements. This technique results in vibrant artworks where botanical motifs infl uence typography.Notable examples include generative fl oral representations of the letter Arts "A" and "C," as well as fl oral typographicdesigns for the term "LOVE." "Floral Art + Selfi e" is a generative self-portrait photography initiative that captures real-timeimages of the artist through a video library in Processing. The goal is to enhance self-esteem and promote healing withthe encouraging message: "You are beautiful." The mixed reality concept seamlessly combines physical and digitalenvironments, facilitating intuitive interactions among individuals, computers, and their surroundings. "Floral Art + MixedReality" reimagines traditional fl oral art by creating multi-sensory mixed-reality experiences with sound elements. "FloralArt + AI" focuses on cultivating emotional connections between the audience and the integration of computational fl oralmotifs. By utilizing the Face Detection feature of the OpenCV library within Processing, this project autonomouslyidentifi es audience members' facial areas, merging fl oral themes with innovative computer vision techniques, allowing forco-creation with the audience's movement. This research significantly contributes to experiential graphic art, representinga pioneering trans-disciplinary and generative graphic art system that synthesizes computational fl oral arrangements, textiles, typography, sound interaction, mixed realities, and artifi cial intelligence. Its ultimate goal is to create immersiveand generative fl oral environments that engage and inspire audiences with multi-sensory interaction.

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