Numeric Tessituras

• Grant number: 09/11518-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: January 01, 2010
• End date: December 31, 2011
• Field of knowledge: Linguistics, Literature and Arts - Arts - Video Arts
• Principal Investigator: Gilberto dos Santos Prado
• Grantee: Tania Regina Fraga da Silva
• Host Institution: Escola de Comunicações e Artes (ECA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The project presents the research of affective computational systems where physical/virtual autonomous processes happen in assemblage with humans for the creation of artworks allowing the emergence of mixed sensorial set-ups. It applies artistic and computational resources to intensify the relationship among the public with techno-poetic environments. It explores triadic relationships - computer, physical objects and participants -, aiming co-relations among bands of bots (virtual and physical) with groups of humans (interactors). The main idea is to create fuzzy set-ups where environments become more like permeable membranes working with relationships and interactions through affective and expressive symbioses among humans and machines. The goal is to weave interaction and autonomous processes looking for poetic results integrating art, science and technology; results with aesthetic, poetic and functional qualities; results exploring emergency and agency for design, construction and set up of expressive systems; results aggregating concepts such as 'virtual reality', 'artificial intelligence, 'affective computing and physical computing. The artist's role in this project is the assemblage of environments with aesthetic and poetic appeal for these symbioses to happen.My research to integrate computer technology with physical objects began in 2004 with the development of an artificial organism commissioned by Itau Cultural Institute: Responsive Membrane. This organism was part of a set of objects weaving robotic procedures with virtual environments aiming maximum expression of movements with minimum actions. This kind of assemblage leads one to think about mixed cognitive processes that provoke emergent behaviours. As an artist I am interested in exploring such relationships. To achieve this goal I have created a Java framework using Java3D API and I have also programmed a set of sketches using Processing to test the hypothesis.