309
edits
GMU:Art and Biomedia/Frederic Blais-Belanger (view source)
Revision as of 12:37, 25 February 2019
, 25 February 2019→The growth of the project
Fredblaisb (talk | contribs) |
Fredblaisb (talk | contribs) |
||
| (One intermediate revision by the same user not shown) | |||
| Line 19: | Line 19: | ||
As a webcam film live the performer's motion, a Max MSP patch compares the image it receives with the previous one, generating a number of the amount of pixel difference. This number controls the air pump, turning it on or off as it reaches a threshold. | As a webcam film live the performer's motion, a Max MSP patch compares the image it receives with the previous one, generating a number of the amount of pixel difference. This number controls the air pump, turning it on or off as it reaches a threshold. | ||
A photosensor | A photosensor calculates the amount of light emitted by the algae. This number is then use in Max MSP to trigger notes on a keyboard; the higher the amount of light, the higher the note. The light also affects the tempo of the music as it slows it down when the amount increases and speeds it up when it decreases. | ||
The research and experimentations for the installation was divided in two main parts and were also made within the frame of two other classes. To access the full documentation of these researches, follow the links below: | The research and experimentations for the installation was divided in two main parts and were also made within the frame of two other classes. To access the full documentation of these researches, follow the links below: | ||
| Line 26: | Line 26: | ||
==The growth of the project== | ==The growth of the project== | ||
The idea originated from questions after the reading of Haraway's book ''Staying with the Trouble: Making Kin in the Chthulucene'' | The idea originated from questions after the reading of Haraway's book ''Staying with the Trouble: Making Kin in the Chthulucene''. How do we make kin with the earth-bounded? How can we make human acknowledge other forms of life? With my interests in mediated social relations that I explored in my previous works, I thus aimed to bring the viewer to looking at the micro-organism in a different way, to make them both work in symbiosis through an installation. | ||
[[File:First_schemas-01.jpg|150px]] [[File:First_schemas-02.jpg|150px]] | [[File:First_schemas-01.jpg|150px]] [[File:First_schemas-02.jpg|150px]] | ||
======''Sketches of the first global idea''====== | ======''Sketches of the first global idea''====== | ||
My first challenge was to make sure that both | My first challenge was to make sure that both organisms would be pictured on the same level, to avoid this human solipsistic supremacy. The idea of a dance as a social interaction was thus for me a good starting point, since dance breaks the language barrier, is an important part of many cultures and demands a mutual respect from both parties and a constant attention to the partner in order to find a certain synchronism. | ||
[[File:PP_Sketch-01.png|200px]] | [[File:PP_Sketch-01.png|200px]] | ||
| Line 38: | Line 38: | ||
The second challenge was to find a way to track the movements of the participant in the dark. If the idea of an infrared camera worked for this point, the fact of having people dancing in a totally dark space was for me something not safe enough. The installation thus turned out to be one with a dimmed spot light on the participant that would ease the technical aspect of motion tracking, as well as making the space safer. | The second challenge was to find a way to track the movements of the participant in the dark. If the idea of an infrared camera worked for this point, the fact of having people dancing in a totally dark space was for me something not safe enough. The installation thus turned out to be one with a dimmed spot light on the participant that would ease the technical aspect of motion tracking, as well as making the space safer. | ||
The last challenge came after some experimentations, when I realized that I would have no control over the installation | The last challenge came after some experimentations, when I realized that I would have no control over the people experiencing the installation. The algae could get exhausted pretty fast depending on the amount of people and their behaviour. Also, by making the viewer the performer, the installation was for me a little too playful. The idea of a live performer with a dancer came to my mind and was for me a better way of illustrating my first aim: a symbiotic duet formed by the two organisms. | ||
==Inspirations and References== | ==Inspirations and References== | ||