Expanded Scene: Digital Technology in Japanese Theater

• Grant number: 24/07280-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: October 01, 2024
• End date: September 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Linguistics, Literature and Arts - Arts - Theatre
• Principal Investigator: Fausto Roberto Poço Viana
• Grantee: Luiza Marcato Camargo de Sousa
• Host Institution: Escola de Comunicações e Artes (ECA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The research aims to investigate the digital technologies deployed by the Japanese multidisciplinary group Rhizomatiks. Since its formation in 2006, the collective's objective has been to explore technology as an artistic expression, researching the relationship and interaction between humans and the digital world by collaborating with other collectives from various artistic disciplines. We aim to understand how these technologies are incorporated into productions, the impact of digital technology on other aspects of the performance such as lighting, costumes, and the performers, as well as how digital has been influenced by these same elements. It is also interesting to investigate how Rhizomatiks and its partners work with the digital layer of the scene as a poetic rather than just an aesthetic element. The following works are taken as the object of analysis: Eclipse Blue (2012), which utilizes projection resources; Border 2021 (2021), which employs augmented reality; and Discrete Figures (2022 version), which utilizes drones, artificial intelligence, and other technologies. The bibliographic references include Oliver Grau, Vinicio de Oliveira, Magnavita, Urssi, Daito Manabe, Hiroyuki Takahashi, and Yasushi Nagata.