Exploring Embodied Sonic Meditation through time and space

Abstract

Background: "Exploring Embodied Sonic Meditation through time and space" was premiered as part of the International Conference on Movement and Computing (MOCO) at Arizona State University (ASU) in 2019. This project is a collaboration with Dr Jiayue Cecilia Wu (University of Colorado) and Dr Lauren Hayes (ASU). Although improvisation is at the foreground the work is divided into clear sections that are articulated musically and using live moving image projection on a substantial scale. Digitally generated video is displayed using floor-scale projectors that encapsulate the performers and the audience i.e. all humans sit within the frame of the video feed and additional screens surround the performance space. This work was developed specifically for the 8.2 Meyer surround-sound speaker system/ and video projection capabilities of the iStage at ASU. Contribution : This project artistically explores new ways of using human movement data to manipulate auditory and visual feedback in real-time in a group performance. Three different digital musical instruments/audio-visual systems are implemented using body-sensing/movement technology and body-audio-visual mapping strategies. The collaborative performance initiates a dialogue between eastern and western media artists who design and use their own technologies and artistic tools. Through this performance, we explore how individual artists and their systems can work as a whole under diverse cultural backgrounds through their gestures and music expressions. Significance: The International Conference on Movement and Computing (MOCO) is a peer-reviewed international symposium on movement and computing that aims to gather academics and practitioners positioned within emerging interdisciplinary domains between art and science. "Exploring Embodied Sonic Meditation through time and space" was selected for presentation at MOCO in the iStage, a unique and high profile research space in the School of Arts, Media & Engineering @ ASU.