Artist Uses 228 Spring Door Stoppers to Create Vibrant Interactive Artwork

German artist Robin Baumgarten has created an extraordinary interactive artwork using 228 spring door stoppers and LED rings. Titled Quantum Garden, the piece allows viewers to play with the door stoppers, creating captivating light shows. This latest work is a follow-up to Baumgarten's highly acclaimed installation from last year, which showcased a Christmas tree at London's King's Cross station and is now a permanent exhibit at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

The idea for Quantum Garden initially stemmed from Baumgarten's pure enjoyment of the tactile nature of door stopper springs and the vibrancy of LEDs. He first created a smaller version called Wobble Garden before pitching the larger installation to the Turku Centre for Quantum Physics in Finland. The centre, particularly Professor Sabrina Maniscalco and her quantum computing team, provided Baumgarten with code for their current research problem. This code allowed the quantum states to be changed by altering certain parameters, and Baumgarten suggested using the wobbling springs on his artwork to visually represent the outcomes.

To bring Quantum Garden to life, Baumgarten employed three circuit boards and Arduino micro-controllers. The micro-controllers measured any contact with the springs and projected corresponding graphics onto the LED rings. From his initial contact with the Turku Centre for Quantum Physics to the installation at Aalto University in Helsinki, the entire building process took approximately two months.

Throughout the project, Baumgarten focused on streamlining the production process. He learned how to design his own printed circuit boards, significantly reducing the amount of soldering required. Additionally, he expressed enthusiasm for ordering 500 door stopper springs from Amazon, acknowledging the amusing nature of such a purchase.

Baumgarten's artistic repertoire often incorporates household items into interactive games. His previous works include an electrified kitchen knife and rubber bands that interact with on-screen characters. With a background in artificial intelligence and commercial game development, Baumgarten has showcased his creations at gaming conferences, art exhibitions, and prestigious events like the Toronto International Film Festival and Burning Man.

For those intrigued by Baumgarten's innovative projects, there are more opportunities to explore his work on his website and social media channels.