Salt Worldwide, 2010
German Salt Museum, Luneburg, Germany
The German Salt Museum in Luneburg updated its exhibition with an interactive installation entitled Salt Worldwide. This media installation concludes the tour through the museum, a former salt mine.
34 touch sensitive salt crystals spread over a world map highlighting the biggest salt mines. According to the amount of salt mined in these regions, millions of salt particles are emitted over the world map, slide down the mountain ridges, then diffuse and flow with the main sea currents.
When a crystal is touched, it starts to glow. Grains of salt pour over the table and merge into an information window, which displays detailed information about the selected salt mine in the form of text, images and movies.
During guided tours, the museum guide uses a ten-minute sequence to explain the global salt production, consumption, usage, and other relevant topics. Each topic is illustrated by a computationally generated animation.
The installation offers a new approach of learning through a dynamic and immersive experience. The behaviour of the salt world is based on algorithmic parameters, providing a vivid and evolving experience that changes over time.