Let it Snow

Let It Snow is an interactive installation that places viewers inside a wintery multiverse. Shaking a snow globe atop a pedestal sends falling snow cascading into the surrounding space while revealing an endless recursive world contained within. As each snow globe contains another identical globe, the installation invites viewers to question their own perspective: are you observing the highest level of reality, or is someone else shaking your world?

This project was an opportunity to explore new fabrication techniques and solve several unique engineering challenges. Creating the snow globe required developing a reliable watertight enclosure and experimenting with fluid mixtures to achieve convincing snowfall. I also learned woodturning to fabricate a custom hardwood pedestal topper, giving the finished piece a refined, handcrafted presentation. 

Visitors interact with the installation by physically shaking the snow globe. The intensity of each shake directly influences the snowfall projected into the surrounding space, transforming a familiar gesture into one that affects both the miniature world inside the globe and the environment around the viewer.

An ESP32 and onboard accelerometer embedded in the base of the snow globe wirelessly transmit motion data to a computer concealed within the decorative house behind the installation. Custom software interprets the intensity of each shake to control the projected snowfall in real time, creating the illusion that the physical globe directly influences the surrounding environment. Integrated lighting within the globe illuminates the recursive "Santaception" scene, drawing attention to the miniature world inside.