John Gerrard's SPIRITS Digital Artwork Launches Spring Phase at LACMA
On March 20, the spring equinox, artist john gerrard unveiled the latest phase of SPIRITS on the Los Angeles County Museum of Art's website. This browser-based artwork features 24 real-time simulations of plastic footwear collected from Indian Ocean beaches, rendered using gaussian splat technology. The project unfolds across the year's solstices and equinoxes, with 96 total simulations planned. SPIRITS explores ecological and cultural themes through visual transformations that shift from iridescent to glossy surfaces, accompanied by an evolving generative soundtrack. Designed for mobile browsers, the interactive work positions user gestures as central to the experience, aiming to engage audiences about consumption and climate change through poetic digital expression rather than data presentation.
Key facts
- SPIRITS launched its spring equinox phase on March 20
- The artwork features 24 real-time simulations of plastic footwear found on Indian Ocean shores
- Artist john gerrard created the browser-based work using gaussian splat simulations
- The complete project will include 96 simulations released across solstices and equinoxes throughout the year
- The work is designed for mobile web browsers as interactive global public art
Entities
Artists
- john gerrard
Institutions
- Los Angeles County Museum of Art
- The Art + Technology Lab
Locations
- Indian Ocean