Drift is an interactive audiovisual installation that overlays the appearance and behaviour of a generative mechanism with the properties of a surrounding physical space. This installation forms part of a series of works in which the authors experiment with generative approaches to augmented reality. These works place a particular focus on merging simulation-based and natural systems not only of the level their respective appearance but also with respect to their underlying physical and behavioural properties.

In this installation, the generative system is based on simulated sand grains that move across a virtual relief. The relief is derived from a combination of the physical properties of the exhibition space and a geometrical representation of an imaginary space. The installation itself consists of a rotating platform that houses a camera, a video projector and two directional loudspeakers. As the platform turns, the camera and projection scan across the surrounding space. The virtual relief to which the simulated sand grains respond to changes in accordance to the scanned space. At the same time, the behaviour and distribution of sand grains becomes perceivable as an acoustic and visual projection that is aligned and superimposed with the physical appearance of the scanned space. Visitors who are present in the exhibition space automatically become part of the generative processes. Their presence alters the space perceived by the scanning mechanism and their appearance also becomes subject to the process of audiovisual superposition.