Supercollider
Supercolllider is a panoramic interactive audiovisual piece inspired by a 2015 trip to the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research), where subatomic particles are accelerated to very high speeds and made to collide with each other. While walking around the CERN campus, I came across many fantastic visualizations of subatomic particles colliding - these where the inspiration for this installation.
I created a collaborative audiovisual instrument that could accommodate a wide range of interactions and provide a Delia Derbishire-esque sci-fi soundtrack to accompany the vibrant visualization of particles reacting. The piece encouraged visitors to imagine themselves frozen within the infinitesimal moment when particles collide, and able to explore that moment as if they were navigating the very fabric of space and time. The installation is designed to be intuitive, letting visitors move and create with a sense of freedom and discovery, peeling back the layers of an atomic mystery with each interaction.
This project was made possible thanks to Gray Area and the Institute for Computer Music and Sound Technology at Zurich University of the Arts, who coordinated and supported the Immersive Lab’s visit to San Francisco. Gray Area hosted a cohort of artists to develop pieces for the Immersive Lab. After receiving briefings from the ICST team, I spent about a week putting all of the parts together - visuals, audio, interaction. As part of a creative cohort, I got to work alongside some great artist friends including Bill Baird (TAB Labs), Sarah Rosalena, and Mark Hellar, who all made some stellar pieces for the Immersive Lab as well.
Year Produced: 2015
Dimensions: 20’x10’x20’
Materials: 14 speakers, 4 short-throw projectors, 4 kinects, 4 semi-transparent nylon screens, and 1 mega computer. Custom software using Max/Msp (not Supercollider).
Technique: Spatial audio, computer vision, particle systems, motion tracking, graphics shaders
Credits: Curation: Gray Area; Support: ICST, swissnex, Consulate General of Switzerland in San Francisco
Keywords: Immersive Lab, CERN, supercollider,
