Emotional Machines - Composing for Unstable Media.

Thorolf Thuestad

Emotional machines – composing for unstable media. Thorolf Thuestad In partial fulfilment of PhD in artistic research The Grieg Academy, Department of Music, Faculty of Art, Music, and Design, University of Bergen, 2021 The artistic research project Emotional machines - composing for unstable media explores how non-representational kinetic objects may afford affective and emotional responses, in particular experiences of kinship and relation between an audience and animated objects. Further possibilities for artistic expression are opened through composition and dramaturgy, in works where the animated objects perform alongside human performers and other media, such as light and sound. How may such animated non-representational physical objects be developed? How does animating the physical objects change the potential for experience of kinship and relation between audience and object? How does context modulate the potential for experience of kinship and relation between audience and animated physical object? How does the potential experience of kinship with the animated object differ for the creator of the object, and audience? These questions have been investigated through the creation of a set of animated kinetic figures. These figures have performed in a series of artistic presentations such as gallery exhibitions and stage presentations. The artistic research concludes with two complementary public artistic presentations taking place in bergen in June/July 2021; a time-based stage production at Cornerteatret and a gallery exhibition at Lydgalleriet. The presentations are considered connected and have the common title For one – for many – for all. This is an exposition of the research that presents the kinetic figures, the process of developing them, the questions they have contributed to explore, resulting artistic works (with particular emphasis on the final artistic presentations taking place in June/July 2021), the additional artists contributing to these public presentations, and a series of reflections resulting from the research. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Emotional machines – composing for unstable media Thorolf Thuestad. Denne eksposisjonen presenteres som del av gjennomføring av doktorgrad i kunstnerisk utviklingsarbeid ved Griegakademiet, Institutt for musikk, Fakultet for kunst, musikk og design, Universitetet i Bergen, 2021. Emotional machines - composing for unstable media utforsker hvordan ikke-representative kinetiske objekter kan skape affektive og emosjonelle responser hos mennesker. Spesifikt opplevelse av slektskap og relasjon mellom et publikum og animerte objekter. Det åpnes ytterligere muligheter for kunstneriske uttrykk gjennom komposisjon og dramaturgi i verk der de animerte objektene opptrer sammen med menneskelige utøvere og andre medier, som lys og lyd. Hvordan kan animerte ikke-representative fysiske objekter utvikles med dette startpunktet som inspirasjon? Hvordan endrer animasjon av de fysiske objektene potensialet for opplevelse av slektskap og relasjon mellom publikum og objekt? Hvordan modulerer konteksten de animerte objektene presenteres i potensialet for opplevelse av slektskap og relasjon? Hvordan er den potensielle opplevelsen av slektskap med det animerte objektet forskjellig for skaperen(e) av objektet, og publikum? I Emotional machines – composing for unstable media har spørsmålene har blitt undersøkt ved hjelp av en gruppe animerte kinetiske figurer. Disse figurene har opptrådt i en rekke kunstneriske sammenhenger hovedsakelig galleriutstillinger og scenepresentasjoner. Prosjektet ble avsluttet med to utfyllende offentlige kunstneriske presentasjoner som fant sted i Bergen i juni/juli 2021: En tidsbasert sceneproduksjon vist på Cornerteatret og en galleriutstilling vist på Lydgalleriet. Presentasjonene er tilknyttet hverandre og har fellestittelen For one – for many – for all. Denne eksposisjonen presenterer de kinetiske figurene, prosessen med å utvikle dem, spørsmålene de har bidratt til å utforske, resulterende kunstneriske verk (med særlig vekt på de endelige kunstneriske presentasjonene i juni/juli 2021), kunstnerne som bidro til disse offentlige presentasjonene samt en rekke refleksjonstekster drevet frem av arbeidet med prosjektet.

Figure #5 and 6: Spines

Two units of different sizes.

Each of these figures consists of an elongated transparent "plastic bag" with a spine-like structure inside. The spine structure's zigzag shape is somewhat reminiscent of the bellow of an accordion but much narrower. The internal construction is somewhat reminiscent of the human spine. Below the spine hangs a box containing electronics from which a thin black plastic pipe emerges, falling almost to the floor before making its way up to the top of the "spinebag". The figure is, in fact, nothing more than an actuator. It works by using a small electric vacuum pump and some solenoid valves to pump out the air from the bag surrounding the "spine". Since the spine is made up of rectangular pieces of plastic connected with pivot joints, the spine contracts to shorten the whole structure's length as the air is sucked out of the bag. Both of these figures can contract more than 2/3 of their total length.

They are suspended from the ceiling using copper wire, and thus even if their primary movement is only to contract horizontally, this action does create a rotational movement caused by the torque of the vacuum pump as it changes speed. Since the wire from which the figures are suspended is so compliant, and the pump spins quite fast, this is enough to cause a significant rotational excitation.

The mechanism that drives these figures also creates sound. The largest of the two spines has a larger pump creating a somewhat low pitched but audible tone with the frequency changing with the pump's speed. The smaller of the two spines has a smaller pump that runs faster, creating a tone that is quite a bit louder and at a higher frequency. The airflow to and from the plastic bag that surrounds the central structure is controlled using solenoid valves. As most solenoids, these create an audible click as they engage and disengage. Each of the figures has two valves allowing the figure to keep the vacuum in the bag without running the pump, in effect "holding its breath". The power supply is connected to the figures using copper enamel wire that hangs freely down to the floor, further accentuating the figure's movements.

Impetus

Figures #5 and #6 have no limbs. The other figures have generally emerged as mechanisms that manipulate what could be construed as limbs. This is not the case with figure #5 and #6. They seem to me to be structures that are internal somehow. The association I have with them, one I have come to understand is shared by many audience members, is that they are breathing or being lung-like. They are clearly machines, but because their activity is only to seemingly draw their breath and exhale, they seem somewhat organic to me. My pursuit of fluid or gas-driven actuators such as the ones employed here was motivated by my own association with manipulating fluids and gases as somehow being reminiscent of the organic processes I am familiar with within my own body.

Tip

Tip

Figure #5 and 6: Spines

Impetus