I was one of six artists selected by Shepard Fairey to participate in Samsung’s Noteworthy Project, which explored the impact of emoticons on culture, technology, and communication. Each artist was given a specific emoticon to interpret and express through their work. I was assigned “OMG” and created an audio-reactive, real-time application that captured the emoticon’s expressiveness.

“OMG” is used in various contexts to convey surprise—ranging from happiness and excitement to shock and awe. To represent these emotions, I designed a particle system with multiple behaviors to visually express the dynamic nature of “OMG.” The images below are snapshots from the application, showcasing its ability to embody these different feelings in real time.

The algorithm driving the structure and aesthetics of the visuals is inspired by natural behaviors such as flocking, magnetism, and ant trail formations. The visuals are activated by sound—responding to different amplitudes and frequencies—and the particle physics can be adjusted in real-time, allowing for a diverse range of behaviors and dynamic interactions to be observed.

Artist: Reza Ali
Curator: Shepard Fairey
Director: Jessica Sanders
Producer: Robert Hranichny 
Agency: Razorfish 
Output: Prints & Custom Software (Java, Processing)
Year: 2012