project aims:
- create a research team to develop innovative new technologies that will be used in live performances combining music, dance and computer visuals in synergy
- create new methods and technologies for artistic creation and cultural expression based on scientific theories
- communicate these newly developed ideas in open access international workshop/seminars and performance events.
- maintain and develop similar research and performance activity in the future.
what is Emergence?
A close relative of the theories of Chaos and Complexity, Emergence is the manifestation of complex patterns resulting from simple rules. Seemingly chaotic groups of elements, for example, migrating birds, groups of dancers, or musical notes, self-organise in unpredictable ways creating dynamic patterns: order in chaos. Natural systems - weather, water movements in a river, a growing vegetable - are subject to simple rules that generate patterns that are rhythmic and fascinating to observe, and are always different and unique. This is Emergence at work. The whole is more than the sum of its parts and the system – whether a set of pixels on a computer screen, a group of dancers improvising together, or a flock of birds flying – self-organises from the bottom up suggesting a group intelligence more powerful than the set of rules that initiated their movement. Some scientific minds consider Emergence as one of the most important discoveries of our age. More about Emergence and art-making
background:
Long-time collaborators Jane Turner (choreographer) and Daniel Biro (composer) have been exploring scientific theories that generate dynamic creative patterning as a source for new performance works since 1996 e.g. international tour of their Strange Attractors and Hybrid shows. The initial impetus for the project was informed by Prof. Igor Aleksander of Imperial College and his work on Neural Networks in 1999 in a research residency at CAMAC art and science and new technology centre in France. The next stage involved collaboration with scientists in performing arts experiments resulting in an event with ICA scientist-in-residence Daniel Glaser and students from University of North London at the Institute of Contemporary Arts. These educational activities have led to Turner delivering a number of academic papers at Coventry and London Metropolitan Universities and had an article published in the Laban Quarterly Journal. The team are all experienced artists/educators committed to communicating new ideas and skills as broadly as possible.
the project so far:
The e-Merge project started back in 1999 and is now supported by European Commission’s cultural programme Culture 2000 amongst other sponsors. We have commissioned creative computer programmers to create the necessary software/hardware system that will be employed to ‘conduct’ the performers on stage. This initial work was tested in a public event at the arts-science-technology centre CAMAC in France.
We are now exploring interface possibilities: audio-visual technologies, body and floor sensors and wireless headsets, which can then be plugged into the system as different means of communication with performers (7 dancers/5 musicians) during a performance situation. We will be presenting full emergent performances to European audiences from May 2004 and leading education projects linked to the work. The first performance of the e-Merge system took place at London's Institute of Contemporary Arts on May 24th and 25th followed by 2 nights in Madrid with our Spanish partner Agero. See images of ICA rehearsals and performance.
downloads:
the e-Merge system description (Powerpoint doc)
the e-Merge system language (Word doc)
'dance, chaos and complexity' by Jane Turner (Word doc)
the people:
Project leaders: Jane Turner and Daniel Biro
Computer artists: Ian Morris, Nick Rothwell, Pedro Sepulveda, Alex Wilkie, Ian Willcock
Scientist: Professor Igor Aleksander
