HELIX
Technical installation documentation
Espacio de Arte Contemporáneo (EAC)
Montevideo, Uruguay
2025
Helix is a real-time interactive artwork that requires an active internet connection throughout the entire exhibition period.
The work runs through a web interface: the installation computers and visitors’ phones connect in real time to a cloud backend that manages sound content, interactions, and the overall experience. This backend is part of Plantasia Space, the platform on which the work is built.
A fully local version is not viable within the framework of this installation, since network connectivity is a constitutive part of how the work operates.
1. General description
Helix is an interactive installation organized around three computer stations arranged in a triangular formation. Each station consists of a computer, a large screen, an NFC reader, and two LED strips.
The three computers connect via ethernet cable to a central WiFi router, which also broadcasts a wireless network for visitors’ mobile phones. A shared headphone amplifier distributes audio to three sets of headphones.
2. Internet connectivity requirements
- Minimum recommended speed: 10 Mbps symmetric, dedicated to the installation
- Stable connection throughout exhibition opening hours
- WiFi network for visitors’ phones, included in the technical design
- No firewall restrictions blocking standard web traffic (HTTPS)
The connection is especially critical at the beginning of each day, when the main content of the artwork is loaded.
3. Network topology
The three computers form a triangle, each connected to the central WiFi router through a dedicated ethernet cable. The router also provides a WiFi network for visitors’ mobile phones.
graph TD
Cloud[Cloud backend<br/>Plantasia Space]
Router[Central WiFi router]
A[Station A<br/>Computer + Screen + NFC + 2 LED strips]
B[Station B<br/>Computer + Screen + NFC + 2 LED strips]
C[Station C<br/>Computer + Screen + NFC + 2 LED strips]
Phones[Visitors' phones]
Amp[Headphone amplifier]
Headphones[3 headphone sets]
Cloud -->|Internet| Router
Router -->|Ethernet| A
Router -->|Ethernet| B
Router -->|Ethernet| C
Router -->|WiFi| Phones
B -->|Audio| Amp
Amp --> Headphones
4. Interactive diagram
5. Physical layout
The three stations are arranged in an equilateral triangle. The WiFi router and headphone amplifier are placed in the center or on a designated technical table. The LED strips run through the structure or across the floor between stations.
- Station A: upper vertex of the triangle
- Station B: lower left base
- Station C: lower right base
- Router: central position, equidistant from all three stations
- Headphone amplifier: next to Station B, the audio source computer
6. Base equipment inventory
Computing and network
- 3 computers
- 1 central WiFi router
- 3 dedicated ethernet cables
Displays and interaction
- 3 large screens
- 3 NFC readers
- 6 LED strips
Audio
- 1 headphone amplifier
- 3 sets of headphones
7. Notes and checklist
- Confirm cable lengths are sufficient for the triangular layout before final installation
- Label all cables, A, B, and C, on both ends to avoid confusion during setup
- Configure the router SSID and password and share them with venue staff
- Verify that all computers are set to launch the software automatically on startup
- Adjust amplifier levels to an appropriate listening volume before opening to the public
- Document the IP addresses of each computer for possible remote troubleshooting