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.

Figures #3 and 4: Prickly

Two units with a slightly different design.

Figure #3 and #4 consist of a 1.5-meter 4 mm steel rod held horizontal by a 3-legged mount. This mount consists of a central disk with a small hole holding the steel rod using a clip mechanism. The central disk has three protrusions at 120 degrees angle relative to each other, each with a servo mounted at the end. These are attached to the central rod so that two of them push at the rod, causing it to tilt. One servo represents one axis, with the second pushing at a 90-degree angle to the first servo. This makes it possible to tilt the rod in any direction. A third servo is attached to a mechanism that rotates the rod around its longitudinal centre point.

At the top of the rod, there is a narrow airtight plastic bag attached. Inside there are many small blocks placed one after another. These are about two cm tall with differently angled walls and a centre hole. This means that as a vacuum pump sucks the air out of the plastic container, they will be pressed against each other at an angle that corresponds to each of these blocks' walls with the effect of the whole unit bending. How this actuator bend is determined by the combination of the different angles of the blocks it contains. This actuator (a different configuration for each of the two editions of this figure) is attached at a 90-degree angle at the top of the rod. As the rotational servo turns, this bendy actuator rotates with it.

The full range of movements of this figure is to freely tilt the steel rod in any direction. The vacuum-driven actuator at the top can contract, causing it to bend in a configuration unique to each of the two editions of this figure. Lastly, the rod can rotate, changing the direction the vacuum actuator "points".

Figures like #3 and #4 (#5, #6 , #7 and #8 also have air powered actuators) that utilize air either in the form of pressure or as a vacuum to generate movement have a pronounced sonic component. In figure #3 and #4, the actuator mounted to the top of the steel rod uses a vacuum to deform. The pump generating the vacuum creates sound with a fundamental frequency equal to its rate of rotation. Solenoid valves that are used to direct the vacuum make an audible clicking sound. Since the vacuum actuator is driven by the same type of pumps and solenoid valves as figures #5 and #6: Spines, they share many of the same sounds. The hissing of air escaping and rushing into the actuator has a different, sharper timbral quality to it, and since the actuator is made from a more brittle stiffer type of plastic, it makes a crackling sound as the plastic deforms and sticks a little to the blocks inside.

Impetus

A main motivation guiding the development of figure #3 and #4 was size. I wanted a figure approximating human size standing “upright”. I wanted to investigate what a figure of comparable size to a human observer would do to the potential for relations to form between the figures and observer. #3 and #4 are still part of the early generation of figures created as part of this research project, and still make use of low powered RC servo's as their main actuators. This creates the necessity for a careful management of balance to generate a sizeable motion and as such this figure shares some of the fragile appearance of figures #1 and #2.

Tip

Tip

Figures #3 and 4: Prickly

Impetus