In the natural world, bioluminescent jellies glow when they’re disturbed. We've always been fascinated by this phenomenon and the beauty of this almost other-worldly spectacle. Jelly Swarm, our permanent installation at the Vancouver Aquarium, imitates this natural, reactive behaviour and allows aquarium visitors to surprise origami jellies into creating beautiful patterns of colour and light.

Inspired by the luminescent jelly fish found off the coast of British Columbia, Jelly Swarm features 94 carefully folded origami jellies (each containing an LED module) suspended from a reflective aluminum structure that hangs from the ceiling. As you move your hand across an interface on a plinth-mounted touch screen, the jellies respond in real-time. When left undisturbed by the public, the origami jellies — programmed as independent objects — interact with their closest neighbours, creating generative luminescent displays. We are incredibly proud to be the creators of this popular display piece at one of Vancouver's most prominent museums.