Call for Collaboration with Sculptors
Experimental Hardware Performance Interfaces
Ongoing
Gaggle v.0.1 
Gagglina v.0.1 
Wired Mini v.0.1 
Wired Maxi v.0.1 |
Pretriggered, Triggered, Retriggered...I am a music composer and technologist involved in projects concerning the musically expressive interface (hardware and software design) and its use through movement. I am affiliated to the Digital Performance Laboratory (DPL) at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge UK. The DPL is a research group, a part of the Cultures of the Digital Economy Institute, particularly concerned with digital performance and its representations, with an emphasis on digital sound production and human computer interaction. Musically expressive interface design involves the development of both hardware and software components; creating items that are potentially visually expressive and stimulating and that create interesting and involving musical ideas when used in performance. The use of these interfaces through movement primarily involves musical performers, members of the public and dancers. Electronic sensors and other items are integrated with the sculpture and data from these sensors is used to trigger, manipulate and control audio data on an associated computer or other apparatus. The two main areas of work are performance (primarily with dancers and musicians), and installation pieces. During 2009 and 2010 I have been involved in two versions of a collaborative project called Triggered. This is a collaborative project with composer and technologist Tom Hall, composer and performer Cheryl Francis-Hoad and choreographer Jane Turner and her dancers. A full show based on extensions of this work, Retriggered, is due for performance at the Kings Place in London in June 2011. This is the key work for which I am interested in collaboration, but it is hoped that satellite events, for instance installation pieces utilising the works developed for Retriggered, would be exhibited in various gallery spaces around this time. As the items may well be on public display - in the case of installations, as a primary focus - the visual aspect of the work is of great significance. I am particularly interested in working with sculptors who have an interest in interactivity and are aware of the potential of intermedia art, but also who are aware of the dangers of gimmickry. I am also interested in including kinetic sculpture possibly involving both acoustic and electronic sound. I would also very much like to include within Retriggered original, (naturally) non-sonic sculpture. A key interest is in the way that the physical nature of the materials can be used musically or in other aspects of sonification; for instance, electrical resistivity or luminosity. While my current focus is on the development of scenes and devices for Retriggered I'm also interested in collaborative work in general. If you have an idea for a dramatic or installation-based scene that also involves interactivity and sound then I'd be very interested in finding out more. 'Scenes' are more or less independent performance or installation items involving a single device or collection of devices; a set of performers: dancers or actors; a choreography for those performers, and some sound or music composed, triggered, played back. Retriggered is planned to be a variety of such scenes. There is no conventional narrative, although the scenes often include aspects of narrativity. I'm interested in working with many different sculptors in order to fully understand and refine my own ideas of how different types of interaction and interaction procedure can occur. Also how different plastic artists understand their own ideas of intermedia work. As you will hear from the examples given at the call address, my music is primarily modernist in outlook, although I would prefer to think of it as style-neutral. In Retriggered I am working with another broadly modernist composer. Please listen to the excerpts. In addition to the above, I'm working with a number of people involved in both academic and clinical areas of psychology and therapy: for instance, the nature of interaction and the way that elements of music, such as rhythm, can illuminate and encourage social interaction, and the use of music in therapy. It is a possibility that intermedia collaborations could become a part of these investigations, of course with the full agreements of all parties. It's important to point out that at present there is no funding set aside for this aspect of these projects. Applications for such funding are intended, but there are no guarantees that these will be successful. Finally, while this call focuses on collaborations with sculpture, I am also interested in investigating similar collaborations with other arts. More information and examples at http://rhoadley.net/sculptors. Some specific examples I have in mind are at http://rhoadley.net/comp/calls/examples.php. If you're interested in this or have any questions please email me, ideally including a word or two about your own work including examples, at: richard.hoadley @ anglia.ac.uk (please remove spaces) Examples of Work
Gaggle music interface: performance 2 at HCI2009 (25MB) from Richard Hoadley on Vimeo. Other and higher resolution videos of Gaggle performances are available at Videos on Vimeo. |