Duration: 80 hours
Team Members: 3
Skills Applied: Improvisational Skills, Python, Sewing, Shibori Dying, Sketching
Tools Used: Air Blowers, Scissors, DMX Lighting, DMX Controller, Dye, Hot Plate, MIDI Pad, Scissors, Sewing Machine, Utility Knife
This performance was an exploration of light and inflation, where we would draw the audience’s attention between a slowly bouncing and breathing coral reef and a sea creature that slowly unfurled its tentacles. The performance began with the reveal of both the coral reef (with lights that ranged from purple to green in segments) and the sea creature (with red lights in the center of the piece and surround it). After initially alternating the light focus between the two inflatables, we then led into a reveal of the tentacles of the sea creature that eventually stretched out across the stage. Finally, after more light alternating between the inflatables, with a final chaotic explosion of lights, the piece ended quickly switching to all black. The performance was puppeted live and improvisationally, utilizing MIDI pads hooked up to programmable lights and air pumps to generate motion in the pieces and adjust the mood. This was accompanied by improvisational music, so the performance between our art piece and the musicians played off of each other.
This piece was named after Charybdis, a sea monster in Greek mythology that dwelt in the Strait of Messina.
Stage 1: Egg
This stage of the performance mainly features the breathing of the reef while the egg pulses red and breathes slowly.
Stage 2: Growth
This stage of the performance sees the central body deflate as the tentacles begin to inflate and spring to life.
Stage 3: Death
This stage of the performance sees the central body inflate as the tentacles have spread out, and the whole piece slowly deflates as the red pulsing grows slower, until everything fades to black.
More information about the complete event can be found here:
Article
Full Kinetic Fabrics performances
Documentation can be seen on the next page.