The exhibits at the Vaporeware exhibition include prototypes, sketches, and works in progress—digital installations, interactive experiences, audiovisual experiments, and projects incorporating technologies such as VR, AI, and sensor systems. These are innovative creations that explore new forms of narrative and aesthetics in virtual space, often blending physical and digital elements.

The works on display explore the relationship between the physical and digital worlds, investigating new forms of narrative, interaction, and aesthetics of presence in virtual spaces. Ujazdowski Castle serves as a testing interface, enabling the audience to actively participate and influence the development of the projects. The title refers to the term "vaporware," ironically highlighting the ephemeral and experimental nature of the works.

Inter-university cooperation

As Dominik Chmielak, President of the Students' Robotics Association at the Warsaw University of Technology, explains, the first contact with students from the Academy of Fine Arts was established long before the exhibition.

“Contact with students from the Academy of Fine Arts began two years ago, when a student from that university was looking for help in figuring out how to create a sculpture that would move in a specific way as part of her diploma thesis. Two years later, she reached out to us again with an opportunity to collaborate with the 3D and Virtual Occurrences Studio,” says Dominik Chmielak.

The author of one of the exhibits, Dawid Konopka, began his cooperation with the Students' Robotics Association at the Warsaw University of Technology through a person the group had previously collaborated with on other projects. Five students from the Students' Robotics Association at the Warsaw University of Technology were involved in this artistic project: Marcin Kurkowicz, Bartłomiej Skoniecki, Paweł Kosowski, Grzegorz Niziołek, and Tymek Piwoński.

The completed tasks included the design and implementation of a neural network capable of detecting faces and analyzing the observer’s facial expressions using a camera. Based on the viewer’s recorded facial expressions, the system dynamically adjusted the frequency of the light pulsing on the exhibit, enabling it to respond interactively to the presence and emotions of the audience. Additionally, one element of the installation featured a light source whose continuity was deliberately disrupted at random moments to reflect the character of an industrial environment and enhance the atmosphere of the installation. The project utilized, among other things, microcontrollers, mini-computers, and artificial neural networks paired with vision and image analysis systems.

“Sometimes old street lamps flicker slightly due to wear. That’s the moment when an object begins to lose its function and its meaning starts to shift. I explore these moments in relation to the observer, trying to recover the depth of experience in the interaction with an object. The materials used in the installation are items with a similar history—an old street lamp, small components made from various materials, and steel structures salvaged from a burned-down shopping complex. One of the objects—a lamp connected to a neural network—responds to the viewer’s presence, transforming their facial expression into changes in light intensity and rhythm. As the responsiveness of the object groups gradually decreases, a question arises: is only that which reacts capable of entering into a relationship? Is it also possible to identify with what remains silent, unchanged—and if so, to what extent? By juxtaposing contrasts—degraded objects and elements that respond to human presence—I seek to explore the relationship between the contemporary and what has been discarded,” says Dawid Konopka from the Academy of Fine Arts as he describes his work.

The fusion of technology and art was a fascinating experience for the students from the Students' Robotics Association. They hope that their collaboration on the current exhibition will mark the beginning of regular contact and joint initiatives with the Studio at the Academy of Fine Arts—also in the context of future exhibitions.

The Vaporeware exhibition is aimed at those interested in contemporary art, digital culture, technology, and new media—both specialists and the general public. It especially welcomes those who wish to actively engage with art by interacting with the works and co-creating their meaning.