Project Description
2009. Multimodal Brain Orchestra. Art through technology
The Multimodal Brain Orchestra – MBO – shows the raw creative abilities of the unmediated brain. It explores the question what the creative content is that a collection of brains can generate that is directly interfaced to the world, bypassing their bodies. The Brain Orchestra members play virtual musical instruments through Brain-Computer Interface – BCI – technology alone. In addition, an emotional conductor drives the affective content of a multi-modal composition by means of her physiological state.
SPECS has developed a novel piece called XMotion performed by the Brain Orchestra for FET09 in Prague. Where Emotions refer to the passions that drive our actions in the real world, Xmotions are those affective states that can be generated and experienced by the unmediated brain that is immersed in and takes charge of the multimodal jungle in which it finds itself.
XMotion’s concept is one of the explorations of our self through our memories and emotions and the transformations that they can induce. Change results from this interplay of the mind as an actor and an observer of its own actions.
Documentary of MBO performance for FET’09 in Prague
In Xmotion the audience will witness how experience can be created through direct interfaces to the brain and the body that bypass the volitional body-centered control that defines the common modus operandi of human existence. Where the brain requires a body to exist and operate in the real world, the body can become a burden when we want to transcend the borders of the omniverse of all possible physical realities and enter the noosphere of all possible mental states and subjective experiences. The brain can make this transition as exemplified in the creative content of dreams and art or the delusional states of psychosis. We can incorporate these states in the physical world and externalize them through direct brain interfaces, synthetic creative systems, and interactive media.
MBO will demonstrate new concepts and technologies of interactive, affect-based self-generated media content, brain-computer interfaces, and autonomous synthetic music composition. The MBO XMotion performance is unique in a number of respects including:
1: the use of a multi-person orchestra to control virtual instruments through brain states
2: the integration of multi-person physiological states in an evolving synthetic audio-visual composition
3: the real-time control of the affective expression of a performance by the real-time physiological state of a human, the so-called, emotional conductor
Stills from Cekëh visuals, directed by Behdad Rezazadeh for MBO performance.
MULTIMODAL BRAIN ORCHESTRA from Esther G. Yeste on Vimeo.
Credits
The XMotion performance of the brain orchestra is realized by specs.upf.edu
Orchestra:
– Emotional conductor: Encarni Marcos
– Music conductor: Jonatas Manzolli
– Brain Musicians: Armin Duff, Andre Luvizotto, An Hong, Henrique Martinez
– Live musicians: Armin Duff, Andre Luvizotto, Sylvain Le Groux
Concept: SPECS
– Director: Paul Verschure
– String Quartet & Soundtrack composition: Jonatas Manzolli
– Visual artist: Behdad Rezazadeh
– Production and management: Anna Mura
– Artistic Director: Paul Verschure Anna Mura
– Technical Director: Aleksander Valjamae
– System architecture: Ulysses Bernardet, Aleksander Valjamae, Sylvain Le Groux
– Real-Time Visual Interaction System: Marti Sanchez
– Real-Time Video Effects: Marti Sanchez
– Interactive Computer Music Design and Live Electronics: Sylvain Le Groux
– BCI & Music System integration: Sylvain Le Groux
– Midi Editing: Andre Luvizotto
– Music Production: Sylvain Le Groux, Andre Luvizotto
– Video production: Behdad Rezazadeh
– Video Post-production: Eduard Sellabona, Behdad Rezazadeh
– Music consultant: Andres Lewin
– BCI technology: Christoph Guger
Realization of “Chekëh” visuals:
– Director: Behdad Rezazadeh
– Production & management: Behdad Rezazadeh
– Production assistant: Mercè Campos Trepat
– Video Post-production: Behdad Rezazadeh
– Post-production assistant: Eduard Sellabona
– Video supervision: Paul Verschure, Anna Mura
– Makeup artist: Behdad Rezazadeh
– Makeup assistant: Mercè Campos Trepat
– Logistics: Behdad Rezazadeh, Mercè Campos Trepat
– Dance choreography: Lali Aiguadé, Fatima Campos Trepat
– Kendo choreography: Behdad Rezazadeh, Oscar Serrano Casasín
– Kendo clubs: Club Kendo Ryo Shin Kai, Associació Esortiva RenShinKan, Club de Kendo UPC, Associació Catalana de Kendo(ACKEN)
“Chekëh” visuals cast:
Merce Campos Trepat (Girl of the desert)
Pere Rucio Saez (Lil Kid)
Sol Rucio Saez (Lil Girl)
Fatima Campo Trepat (Dark girl, Angel)
Gandom Garoussi Moafi (Smoking girl)
Lali Ayguade (girl whit tattoo, girl in case)
Kiavash Yousefi (Smashing Brain guy)
Albert Cid (Kendo Warrior)
Alvaro Baena (Kendo Warrior)
Daniel Cuixart (Kendo Warrior)
Diego Gamboa (Kendo Warrior)
Kostadinos Zafirakos (Kendo Warrior)
Noemi Funakawa (Kendo Warrior)
Oscar Serrano Casasín (Kendo Warrior)
Sergi Singla (Kendo Warrior)
Sivia Romeral (Kendo Warrior)
Xavier Ciurana (Kendo Warrior)
Xavier Llop (Kendo Warrior)
Prefe (Black friesian horse)
SPONSORS
– SPECS
– Behdad Rezazadeh
– Institut Universitari de l’Audiovisual
– Universitat Pompeu Fabra
– gTEC
– PHONOS
– FP7 ICT ReNaChip
– FP7 ICT Synthetic Forager
– FP7 ICT Rehabilitation Gaming System
– FP6 ICT PRESENCCIA
– Institut Ramon Llull
– Fundació La Marató de TV3 071932
Special thanks for “Chekëh” visuals:
Juan Plensa
Mohamad Hadi Shoshtari
Rashid al wazid
Karim ali
Hossein Yusuf
Sebastian Mealla
Gloria Campos Trepat
Gema Saez Urigüen
Xavi Rucio Piqué
Cesar Rennó Costa
Marc Bolós
Natalia Orts
Oriol Furriol
Cristina Pleguezuelos
Victor Gago
Marc Hernandeh
Oriol Hurtado
Alejandro Sopena
