From an architectural concept to a moving object

The installation was created by architects Petr Vacek and Adam Cigler, who have long worked at the intersection of architecture, design, digital technology and interactive art.

For Signal Festival 2019, they designed an object that works with one of the most basic human perceptions – our own reflection. Instead of a static surface, however, they created a system of moving mirrors capable of constantly transforming the image of the visitor and the surrounding space.

The result was an object that works as a sculpture, a kinetic installation and an audiovisual instrument all at once.

How Reflexe works

The installation consists of dozens of individually moving mirrors arranged in a regular structure.

Each mirror is a separate module controlled by two servomotors. They allow its surface to tilt along two axes and precisely control the direction of the reflection.

The supporting structure of the modules was 3D printed, which made it possible to develop the individual components quickly and optimise their shape and weight. Each module is then fitted with a mirror and connected to the control system.

Five modules form one cluster mounted on a CNC-machined plywood panel. Each cluster is driven by its own electronics and communicates with the master system.

The whole installation contains eighteen such clusters connected into a single unit.

Software as the conductor of the whole system

The mechanical part was only half of the project. Developing the control software was just as important.

It makes it possible to synchronise the movement of all the mirrors, the stage lighting and the soundtrack. The authors could thus create complex choreographies in which the individual parts of the installation move as a single organism.

The system also included specially prepared animations created in a digital 3D environment. These then determined the resulting movement of the mirrors in space.

The installation could also be controlled with a special remote equipped with accelerometers, which made it possible to change the behaviour of the entire mirror surface interactively.

A technological experiment on a festival scale

Reflexe was one of the first large-scale projects of its kind created at PrusaLab in collaboration with the art scene.

Within roughly twenty weeks, the team had to design the mechanics, test the electronics, develop the software, manufacture dozens of unique parts and fine-tune the whole system again and again.

It was the combination of 3D printing, CNC machining, electronics development and programming that made it possible to create an object that would have been far more complicated and taken much longer to make with conventional manufacturing methods.

Reflexe as the predecessor of Fluidum

The project later became the foundation for another major installation by Petr Vacek – the kinetic sculpture Fluidum created for Expo 2020 Dubai.

While Reflexe moved its mirrors along two axes, Fluidum added a third dimension by extending individual segments towards the viewer. Many of its technical and conceptual principles, however, come directly from the Reflexe project.

It is fair to say that Reflexe laid the foundations for a whole new generation of kinetic mirror installations.

About the authors

Petr Vacek is an architect, designer and lecturer focusing on parametric design, digital fabrication and interactive installations. His work has long combined architecture, robotics and new technologies.

Adam Cigler is an architect and designer working at the intersection of architecture, product design and experimental installations. His work focuses on the relationship between space, people and technology.

Together they created a project that turned a technological experiment into a powerful artistic experience.

Result

Reflexe was one of the most striking installations of Signal Festival 2019 and was visited by tens of thousands of people during the festival. The work captivated not only with its visual form but above all with its unusual way of engaging the viewer, who became the main protagonist of the whole experience.

The project also showed how powerful the connection between contemporary art, robotics and digital fabrication can be. For PrusaLab, it was one of the first major interactive art installations and laid the foundations for a collaboration that later gave rise to projects such as Fluidum, Audire Fluctus and OKO.

Over time, Reflexe also became the most successful installation ever created at PrusaLab. Unlike most festival works, it did not end after its premiere but lives on a life of its own. Since 2019, we have regularly lent it to cultural events, festivals and public installations in the Czech Republic and abroad. Every year it appears in several new places, and over its lifetime it has been seen by hundreds of thousands of visitors across Europe.

Its long lifespan, technical reliability and ability to appeal to very diverse audiences have made it one of the most sought-after installations in our portfolio. What began as an experimental project for Signal Festival has turned into a work that has successfully represented Czech art, design and technological creativity at home and abroad for several years.

Reflexe was one of the most striking installations of Signal Festival 2019 and was visited by tens of thousands of people during the festival. The work captivated not only with its visual form but above all with its unusual way of engaging the viewer, who became the main protagonist of the whole experience.

The project also showed how powerful the connection between contemporary art, robotics and digital fabrication can be. For PrusaLab, it was one of the first major interactive art installations and laid the foundations for a collaboration that later gave rise to projects such as Fluidum, Audire Fluctus and OKO.

Reflexe was therefore more than just a festival installation. It became proof that technology can be as powerful an artistic medium as light, sound or space itself.