do.we.touch.

do.we.touch is a performance and installation work created at the Choreographic Coding Labs 14 (#CCL14) in 2022, hosted by A+E Labs in Chatham, UK.

This performance and installation explores themes of consent, intimacy, and technology’s relationship in facilitating this intimacy. Building on principles of consent in the practice of contact improvisational dance, how do we facilitate touch and connection as humans; how do we navigate how we feel in these moments; how does technology and biosensors impact and facilitate this intimate space we create together. Performers wear pulse sensors that trigger stage lighting and projection display. Performers then build a choreography inspired by a series of actions derived from consent workshops.

the closer you are. . . the way I feel. . . do we touch. . .

Special thanks to Mark and Tove for inspiration and mentorship // Dancers: Allie Costa + Lenata S. Goka // CCL Host: Aoi + Esteban

do we touch

how do we navigate

here-ness

there-ness

how do we reconcile

the feelings i believe

the feelings that live within

the closer you are

the way i feel

do we touch?

Technology + Hardware Breakdown

The video showcases Aoi Nakamura wearing a pulse sensor glued to a clip-on earring that is tethered to an Arduino positioned at the end of the stage. Using the Orbbec Astra, the Isadora software is able to track points on Aoi’s joints. Within Isadora, I experimented with different visualizations; using the pulse to change the line width that she draws using her right arm, as well as generating the background line imagery.
Using a DMX to USB converter, we connected the stage lights to sync with Aoi’s pulse in real time.

 

About Choreography Coding Labs

Choreographic Coding Labs is “an international traveling format offering ‘code savvy’ artists the opportunity to translate aspects of choreography and dance into digital form and apply choreographic thinking to their own practice. CCLs are five-day intensive labs bringing together a selected group of creative coders and choreography experts to work on experiments, prototypes, projects, and ideas relating to technology and the moving body. Taking place in an intimate interdisciplinary peer-to-peer setting, CCLs invite participants to work together, share knowledge, and find new collaborative modes of working.”

2022’s CCL was hosted in Chatham, UK at the A+E Lab with a few dozen participants from around the world; together in a large studio space, creating artwork, friendships and collaborative projects. Projects ranged from AI Choreographers, AI generated dance scores, machine learning movement recognition, VR technology and all the beautiful in-betweens of intelligence and embodiment.

TIM MURRAY-BROWNE’s Blogpost on CCL14

Isabel Sun’s Medium article on CCL14

Wonderful video of CCL created by Stathis Doganis

 

Tags:  #designresearch #installation