Butterfly Effect. 2025

Butterfly Effect is a 30-second looped animation. It evolved from a series of paintings, The Value of R. Those works visualize the transmission of COVID-19. They examine the personal, social, and economic consequences of the pandemic. During production, a broader relevance emerged. A single change at the network’s start led to entirely different outcomes. This mirrors the causality of individual actions and social dynamics. The artwork’s title reflects this phenomenon.

In chaos theory, the butterfly effect refers to a small change in one state leading to large differences later. The term is associated with mathematician and meteorologist Edward Norton Lorenz. He observed that the details of a tornado could be influenced by a butterfly flapping its wings weeks earlier.

At the center of this artwork is a single static point. A network of lines grows outward based on the N value of COVID-19. Each point connects to two or three others. Points are located on a grid with line lengths of one, two, or three. Changes in point position create a different network. Changes in the network imply motion.

The animation cycle speeds up and slows down. While there is logic to the network, there is no animation in the conventional sense. The viewer relates similarities in faster passages. Slower passages appear jerky, making them harder to comprehend. This balances understanding with chaos.

Referencing human blood, the palette is monochromatic red. It relates points in the network to human interactions and choices - forks in the road. Concentric rings surround each iteration of the algorithm. They are brighter at the center to focus the viewer’s attention. Outside the network, a darker tone creates a boundary.

Butterfly Effect is an edition of 21 unique animations. This number marks the age of adulthood in many societies. It's a milestone from which many life choices are perceived to ripple.