I went to the NYU ITP winter show, and as usual it was wonderful. There were dozens of fascinating interactive multimedia projects of all kinds, created by art students learning to flex their inner engineer.
In one project, I was asked to touch a crystal ball. When I did so, a magical creature appeared, floating inside the ball, and started to speak to me.
The creature said that we had a mystical connection, and that it would leave a gift for me. In the end, a small dish next to the crystal ball lit up, and the students running the project told me that the creature had given me a magical edible spell.
It was actually a small sweetened piece of gelatin, but I wanted to stay in the moment, so I picked it up and ate it. It was yummy.
Afterward the students asked me what I thought. I said I liked the work, but I couldn’t resist adding that the last time someone gave me a magical edible spell, I couldn’t remember anything for the next three days.