The performance installation Metakimosphere no.1, by Azzie McCutcheon, Martina Reynolds, Helenna Ren, Seeta Indrani, Cameron McKirdy, Yoko Ishiguro, Johannes Birringer and myself was born of an eight week long MetaSeminar Digital Technologies workshop at Brunel University, London, facilitated by Johannes Birringer. The workshop was constituted of technologists, designers, dancers, musicians and artists, who all contributed to the installation.
The installation was created with hung and draped gauze in a circular formation with projections of particle effects from four sides, angled into and through the structure. The dancers were located in the centre with gauze draped over their bodies to form a single body within the structure. A Kinect sensor was placed inside the structure, so that each of the dancers’ movements directly influenced the behaviour of the particles. As the dancers increased the frequency and speed of movement, so the movement of the particles would intensify and multiply. The audience was able to walk around and into the structure.
McCutcheon, Ren and Ishiguro have danced on a number of interactive digital performances, while for Heller-Wagner and Matthews from Experiment.spaces no.1, it was their first time. This performance installation gave some insight into how these experienced dancers interacted with the environment. They are much more aware of their surroundings and how their movement translates to the projections and images. The sense that the environment was an extension of their bodies was very evident in this project.