elektron.live

With pretty much entire planet locked down, human interaction, socialising and energy transfer between each other does not work the way we know it. With performing arts venues and theaters shut down the audiences and performers found themselves from a situation they’ve never encountered before. All of a sudden only option (and is it really?) was Facebook live where performers are performing to the void and the audiences became lonelier than ever before. The basic properties which enabled the performance to happen were taken away and the energy exchange between the performers and audience was set to zero. That loss is why elektron.live was born. After two intense weeks we were able to create an online environment where people could enter the virtual venue, leaving their webcams on and be visible for both the performers and other viewers. Inventing and building elektron.live saved us from cancelling our first Festival Of Spooky Action At A Distance. Unlike other performing arts venues and festivals we were able to keep our promises to our audience and the performers. The event was a success with more than 3000 visitors and hundreds of people leaving their webcams active creating one virtual collective.

It was after the Festival Of Spooky Action At A Distance that we realized, that the platform could be something more than only a way of demonstrating performers and audience to each-other. We have never had a medium before where there is an live interaction on both sides of the screen simultaneously! Besides managing to hold the festival we also learned that performing arts online could never be the same as we know it from real encounters. Its not theater and its not TV nor its a vlog. With the invention of a new virtual space we also have to invent a new kind of performing arts. And that is something that really boosts our curiosity in what to look for in the future. A whole new world in arts!

Much like the first movies at the turn of 20'th century were just recordings of the theatre performances, until now the online shows in internet are copies of the shows made in real life. Despite having internet for many decades, we are still inventing this medium for performing arts. It took Dziga Vertov and his "Man with the movie camera" to make movies look like movies. We are now creating a tool for artists to do the same for the online performances.

elektron.live is created by e⁻lektron team together with Stepan Bolotnikov and Babahh Media.

 

Romeo & Julia #5

Most of the information we experience is saved into the sensory memory without us becoming aware of it. The eye is a powerful sensor – the brain receives so much visual information at a such a high speed that we remain, at first, unaware of most of the processing going on in the visual cortex – the association cortex starts the interpretation process with a slight delay.

It is possible, by presenting the visual information at a very fast rate, to stimulate the imagination of a person and to store subliminal information in them. Then, it is possible later, by stimulating this unconsciously stored information, to provoke emotional reactions in them.

But how is the knowledge about the neurological specificities in humans and about the filter of conscious and unconscious related to Romeo and Juliet? The story of Romeo and Juliet is an excellent material for experimenting with these processes. The same way that the fate of Romeo and Juliet was influenced by the processes beyond their control, we are influenced by the invisible processes hidden in the shadow inside ourselves. We know what happened in the 5th act of the famous play by Shakespeare (and if not, it is possible to look it up). But what are the cognitive processes this story will activate? That we don't yet know.

It is possible that this subliminal experience will become a recognisable narrative. But it is also possible that something else will happen, something unexpected. This defines the interest in experimenting with subliminal experiencing. We are not standing on a solid ground, neither will the spectator. We are all chasing after the will-o'-the-wisp and no one knows before the performance whether it'll be there this time or not. What was it, there on the edge of the peripheral vision? Don't know, might be the heart beating too hard…


“Romeo & Julia #5” toovad lavale Taavet Jansen, Andres Tenusaar, Hendrik Kaljujärv, Henri Hütt, Mailiis Laur, Rommi Ruttas, Aleksander Väljamäe, Maike Lond ja Kaie Olmre

Co-production: eˉlektron, Kanuti Gildi SAAL

Supported by Estonian Ministry of Culture

Premiere: Baltoscandal festival July 1st

Duration: 30'

KÜSIMUSTIK

Jan Fedinger

land[e]scapes 4 - redistribution of wealth by nature

land[e]scapes 4 - redistribution of wealth by nature [working title] is the 4th instalment of the land[e]scapes series developed by jan fedinger. land[e]scapes is a series of immersive art works imagined by Jan Fedinger that investigates the relation of humankind to nature, reality and other evolving environments. They are positioned between contemporary forms of theatre / performance and visual art while drawing aesthetics from classical landscape art.

The series investigates the performativity of environments while aiming to create the circumstances for a poetic experience inspired by nature.

land[e]scapes stand in the tradition of landscape-art, showing natural environments disconnected from their context. Aiming to preserve existing natural phenomena for future generations. Imagining future nature for a contemporary audience to reflect on the impact they have on their surrounding.  land[e]scapes stand in the tradition of electronic arts, exploring electronic environments that are now common but used to be called future when we were young. land[e]scapes aims to preserve the wild of nature because we will not fight to save what we don’t love.  land[e]scpapes 4 - redistribution of wealth by nature [working title] is a researches in the treatment of wealth within nature and society.

The rainbow, one expression of natures riches, functions here as a departing point. The research focuses on the state of society within a system that nurtures and urges for consummation and multiplication of possessions. Where one wants, desires and expects. All the while time is flying by.

Through the use of saturation in colour and sensorial stimulation, the work aims to create spaces wherein thought can flow freely, unhindered by conventions and habit. Spaces that challenge ones perception of reality and dream alike.

 

Concept: jan fedinger

Muusikaline kompositsioon: invader_rui

Dramaturg: christina flick

Sound dramaturgy: david kiers

Assistence: Grischa Runge

Production: Standplaats Utrecht

Co-production: e‾lektron

Stamsund internasjonaler teater festival

Thanks to: BUDA Kortrijk, CCNCN, Caen

 

Premiere: 21 may 2020 - SPRING Utrecht festival

Next performances: 

22 may 2020 – SPRING Utrecht, NL

29 may 2020 – Stamsund internasjonale teater festival, No

19 – 22 oct 2020 –  e‾lektron Tallinn, EE

https://janfedinger.net/

Ellen Pearlman

AIBO: An Emotionally Intelligent Artificial Intelligence Brainwave Opera

AIBO is a love story between a performer wearing a brain computer interface connected to a live time prosthetic body of light that displays their emotions as various colors, akin to an exterior nervous system, and an emotionally intelligent artificial intelligent entity that responds and interacts with the performer. The performer and entity engage in dialogues about their intimate relationship, all the while interacting with an audience. Both the performer and the AI entity’s emotional states, which are monitored thorough biometrics and semantic analysis of their emotions launch databases of visuals and sonic environments allowing viewers to see into their (both the performer and AI) hidden cognitive states. Performance AIBO is a result of EU project Vertigo STARTS residency. Aleksander Väljamäe, assistant professor of University of Tallinn’s School of Digital Technologies hosts artist Ellen Pearlman’s performance in Estonia within GOPROSOCIAL project. Professor Pearlman is a New York based media artist, curator, writer and critic is a faculty member of Parsons/New School MFADT, and Director of the ThoughtWorks Arts Residency. Partners: e⁻lektron, STARTS.EE, Department of Composition and Improvisational Performing Arts and Estonian Academy of Music and Theater Showing 22.02.20 at 17:00 and20:00, Estonian Academy of Music and Theater black box

Liis Vares

You Will Be a Dancer!

Who are you capable of becoming and when? What could create the courage and will to exit existing patterns, give up roles already created? The new performance by Liis Vares is a notional sequel to “Breathe! Don’t breathe!” (premiere on 18.10.2018 at the Sõltumatu Tantsu Lava). The author continues to examine the body as material, permitting those whose lives have different needs to meet in one room. This time the focus is on experienced stage professionals, women that enjoy stops but whose urge is to move on. It is as if they are moving at different speeds and in opposite directions but they must meet on stage. Meet the other in themselves.

Director: Liis Vares Performers: Helen Reitsnik, Katariina Unt Scenographer: Kristi Kongi Sound Designer: Ekke Västrik Light Designer: Siim Reispass Dramaturg: Taavet Jansen Produtsent: Sõltumatu Tantsu Lava Co-producer: e⁻lektron Premiere: 9.04.2020 19:00 Performances: 22.04, 23.04 19:00 https://stl.ee/lavastus/sinust-saab-tantsija/

Aleksander Väljamäe

DataWe experiments

During the art-science Festival Resonances III “DATAMI” at Joint Research Center at European Commission in 2019–2020, Dr. Väljamäe worked with several research groups and projects “Enlightenment 2.0”, AI Watch and “Digitranscope”. He focused his neuroart work on the latest philosophical discussions by futurologists like Yuval Harari on a potential danger of A.I. merging with personalized neurotechnologies which may lead to societies of control or surveillance capitalism scenarios. “DataWe” performance explores the future where there is no individuality and people form groups, “meta-brain structures”, that work collectively on various tasks. “DataWe” work-in-progress showing uses a database cinema engine and the physiological signals from multiple audience members – “neuronauts”. Visual material shown to the public will be collectively manipulated by “neuronauts”. All are welcome to these new experiments!  

Idea and technical direction: Aleksander Väljamäe Neurotheatre producer: Maria Hansar Neuro-dramaturgy: Taavet Jansen Narrative engine programmer and visual design: Valentin Siltsenko Project assistant: Daniel Irabien Peniche Project assistant: Ali Haririan Partner: e‾lektron Physiological computing: Hugo Plácido da Silva (IT - Instituto de Telecomunicações) Machine Learning: Patrícia Bota (IT - Instituto de Telecomunicações) Machine Learning: Ana Fred (IT - Instituto de Telecomunicações / Technical University of Lisbon) DataWe work has been supported by the following sponsors/collaborators: The Joint Research Center of the European Commission, Tallinn University, School of Digital Technologies, Future Media Convergence Institute, XINHUANET Co .,Ltd (EDA sensor technology), IT - Instituto de Telecomunicações (physiological computing software) MTÜ Kultuurikatel (production and communication) https://resonances.jrc.ec.europa.eu/installation/datawe

Karl Saks

Planet Alexithymia

(Alexithymia is a subclinical phenomenon involving a lack of emotional awareness or, more specifically, difficulty in identifying and describing feelings and in distinguishing feelings from the bodily sensations of emotional arousal) The performance examines isolation, both institutional and sensory, which is centred by the body and its strength, utility, obedience, distribution and surrender. Observation of how the inner and outer environment colonizes the body, sets boundaries, influences, manipulates. "Planet Alexithymia" draws the line of similarities and differences between the walls of detention facilities and biological membranes. Body that is pressed into the environment or consciousness pressed into the body - whether it is a black box, a prison or arable land - has to deal with routine and pragmatic repetitions - a regenerating sequence and the phenomenon of how body and psychological functions adopt to it (or not) will be the subject of the work. Karl Saks is a freelance choreographer, dancer and sound designer. He graduated Tartu University Viljandi Culture Academy, Performing Arts Department in 2009 and Estonia Art Academy, New Media Department (MA) in 2017. He has created three solo performances and has taken part in collaborations as sound designer in the context of theatre, movie and gallery art, as dramaturg, as performer, as directors’ assistant and as co-director. He is part of a musical collective Cubus Larvik. Author, performance, sound design: Karl Saks Dramaturg, light design: Maike Lond Malmborg On stage: Ruslan Stepanov Technical support: Kalle Tikas Project management: Maarja Kalmre Co-producer: Kanuti Gildi SAAL, e‾lektron MORE THAN THIS residencys supported by the EU: Parallele Festival (Marseille), Materials Diversos festival (Lissabon) Supported by: Cultural Endowment of Estonia Premiere: 16.04.2020 Kanuti Gildi SAAL https://saal.ee/et/performance/6375

Taavet Jansen, Liis Vares and Aleksander Väljamäe

Experiments of neurochoreography

The series of neurochoreography’s experiments consists of staged situations where the audience or dancer unintentionally controls what takes place on stage. The interactivity in last neurochoreographical experiments is based on unconscious reactions of the audience-the sensors that are placed on the audience's hands, measure their emotional excitement and this change is being used to control important mediums in the performance - manipulating light or sound or video. The context of tracking the performance depends on the reactions of the viewer. This means that the body of the audience says publicly how one reacts to the performance and its reactions will be known also to others who are in the same room. There arises a situation in which the accustomed wall between the performer and the audience disappears and the performance will take place as a collaboration between the performer and the audience. One’s reaction affects other viewers as well as the performer because the performer also hears or senses how the performance affects the viewer. The technological part of neurochoreography’s experiments is developed by e⁻lektron in collaboration with PLUX (Portuguese based company that makes biosensors). Experiments take place in collaboration with University of Tallinn, University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy and Estonian Academy of Arts. Movement and performance: Liis Vares (together with Liisbeth Horn) Concept, programming and science: Taavet Jansen and Aleksander Väljamäe Technological support: PLUX

kaos@elektron.art

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