Shatter, before the break - House of Noosh

“Shatter, Before the Break” is a single-channel generative video portrait and interactive installation that examines the pull of self-image on screens.

The work uses a webcam that takes a live feed from a video camera to create a generative, interactive portrait that runs in real time on a computer. The viewer’s reflection appears on an old television, echoing the familiar moment of checking oneself through a lens. At first, the image looks steady and ordinary, almost like a front-camera preview. As the viewer moves or draws closer, the reflection begins to shift. Soft blurs appear, features stretch, and the face slowly drifts out of alignment. With continued movement, the image fractures into sharp, scattered pieces until it is no longer recognizable. What begins as a clear, controlled reflection becomes fragile and unstable. At any moment, the viewer may attempt to capture a still frame—though the image may break apart before it can be caught.

Interaction

A camera captures the viewer in real time. At rest, the system applies a soft, minimal monochromatic filter, nothing more. As the viewer moves, motion vectors drive the transformation:

First, a controlled blur that smears edges and softens contours.

Then, geometric tearing and angular fragmentation, as if the image is breaking along invisible fault lines.

Finally, a fully abstracted output—shards of movement, flickers of color, no identifiable face.

The installation resets gently when a viewer leaves the sensing area, inviting the next person into a new cycle.