Interview with Josef Pelz
GH: We're so curious to find out: who are you, where are you from, and what do you do?
JP: I’m Josef Pelz, a 24 years old mathematician and creative coder from Berlin. During my masters, I focused on mathematical visualisation and started applying my knowledge in computer graphics. Ever since I create generative videos.
Meanwhile, I’m writing my master thesis on real-time implementation of Schrödinger Flow (smoke simulation based on ideas from quantum physic).
"I enjoy the uncertainty about how the emerging system will behave."
GH: What is the underlying philosophy behind your work?
Josef: Curiosity. I combine ideas from various algorithms and observe the outcome. I enjoy the uncertainty about how the emerging system will behave. I strive for real-time implementations of those algorithms in order to interact with the system in a playful manner.
GH: Can you pick an artwork and describe your workflow?
Josef: In this piece, you see 1,166,400 particles, each individually following a set of rules. Together they form these complex structures. I combined some ideas from physarum systems with custom algorithms of mine. Once the system is running, I use a MIDI controller to play with parameters and observe the influence they have. The variety of outcomes is genuinely stunning.
At each frame, a particle reads the average particle density and the average (directed) velocity at its position. Then it tries to steer away from high density areas while simultaneously adapt the average velocity. These ideas are inspired by flocking systems (boids). To find out more about the physarum component I recommend to take a look at the website of Sage Jenson. He’s the master of physarum and I had an inspiring talk with him earlier this year.
GH: What's been inspiring you lately?
Josef: I think It’s always fruitful to get an insight into the work of people from a completely different field. Lately, I’ve been inspired by footage of deep-sea creatures.
The film "Schlingensief: A voice that shook the silence" stimulated a lot in me.
GH: Tell us about your setup. Where do you create? What tools do you use? Josef: I work from home, Laptop & Monitor. I mainly use Touchdesigner by Derivative. It’s a great piece of software for real-time implementations within which I can use the programming language GLSL. It allows me to interact with my creations through MIDI controllers, motion sensors, music, etc.
GH: What would you like to explore next?
Josef: I will definitely work with musicians more often. I think that sound is one of the most direct ways to touch people.
– Josef Pelz, Berlin, Germany
This is a fascinating interview. Josef's approach of combining mathematical algorithms and real-time particle simulations—like the 1,166,400 individual particles steering away from high density—is such a beautiful way to visualize complex systems. It’s always inspiring to see how curiosity and a background in math can translate into interactive, generative art.
Stepping away from complex generative systems and constant parameter tweaking also requires a bit of a mental reset. When I need a quick break from deep creative work, I often fire up PokéBonk—a free, browser-based 3D survivor game with no downloads or accounts. It's not generative art, but the quick, reactive loop offers a surprisingly refreshing way to clear the head before getting back to the code.
His real-time Schrödinger Flow thesis sounds fascinating, and I wonder if he’ll ever apply it to something like roblox the forge calculator for interactive experimentation.
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