For those finding themselves in the vicinity of Roanoke, VA, on November 7th

there was a grand opening of the new Taubman Museum of Art that is currently

showing (among other things) a Revo-Over exhibit featuring (among others)

three installations running Max/Jitter. The exhibit will be open until March

>From a technology perspective, one of the exhibits features the new "mu" (as

in Greek letter mu) toolkit recently developed at VT DISIS

 that allows for easy integration of Unity3D

 and Max (we intend to make the tool publicly

available hopefully in the next week or so). The exhibit in question titled

"Elemental" utilizes virtual 3D environment for trajectory/collision

calculation while the Max monitors visitors' motion through a homebrew IR

camera and projects their actions over a 12-speaker 4x3 ceiling-mounted

Here are also a few relevant (albeit somewhat incomplete links) about the

http://digitalartresearchcollective.blogspot.com/

For those interested in more info, below is the artistic/technical hybrid

description of the three Max-based pieces:

===========================================================================

Elemental functions both as a standalone artwork and as a unifying aural

component of the Revo-Over installation. Occupying entire exhibit space, the

piece utilizes equidistantly spaced 4x3 speaker array suspended from the

ceiling. Using an infra-red (IR) spotlights and IR camera the installation

captures visitors' traversal throughout the room and accompanies their

motion with sounds of water ripples. The resulting aural landscape portrays

a soothing image of navigating a calm waist-deep body of water. Apart from

the fact that visitors' motion generates no tactile feedback commonly

associated with water, the surreal is further amplified by the aural cues

that emanate above, rather than from below. As ripples propagate throughout

the space, they are affected by the physical forces that define the world

around us, refracting from the walls and slowly dissolving until all of

their kinetic energy is drained. Occasionally, ripples clash against each

other spawning a flurry of ever-changing sonorities, thus marking spots

where visitors' paths may already have or are about to cross, or where an

individual has caught-up with the wave they generated only a moment ago. The

ensuing aural fabric serves as a foundation for an ever-changing soundscape

whose structure depends entirely upon visitors' actions and interactions.

Cyrene Reefs is devised in collaboration with a conceptual artist Eric

Standley (VT) and can be seen as a pair of ornate musical instruments or

sculptural metaphors of instruments that draw inspiration from the mythical

story of sirens. While at the first sight the installations offer a

relatively simple form of interaction, just like any other musical

instrument their full potential (akin to virtuosity of playing a musical

instrument) can be uncovered only through closer inspection.

The first sculpture is populated by three arm-sized holes that can be

explored by inserting hands offer audio-visual feedback building upon the

metaphor of elements, namely fire, water, and air. The interaction with the

ensuing sound is also accompanied by visual feedback in a form of an

ever-changing organic shape populating the projection dome whose properties

are affected by the aforesaid elements. The sounds of the elements that grow

as the hand is inserted deeper into respective holes are accompanied by a

seductive ever-changing melody whose range and loudness grows proportionally

to the concurrent presence of the three elements.

The second sculpture is populated by five smaller holes that can be explored

by inserting hands offer unique audio-visual feedback building upon the

metaphor of elements established in the first sculpture, in this case the

element of earth. The interaction with the ensuing sound is also accompanied

by the visual feedback in a form of distorting camera projection found on

both sides of the sculpture. Just like the first instrument, only through

virtuosity and persistence does the sculpture disclose all of its aural and

>From a visual perspective, the two sides of the second sculpture are

populated by infrared (IR) cameras that project their respective images on

opposite sides of the sculpture, suggesting that one can see directly

through the large circular openings found on each side of the artifact.

Inside this "transparent" space resides a tiny iBot (eye-bot) that is

capable of observing nearby visitors, often by uncomfortably staring at them

for prolonged periods of time. In the event there are visitors on both sides

of the artifact, the iBot will often shift its attention from one side to

the other as it sees fit, encouraging observers to seek its undivided

attention. This sole "living organism" of the cyrene reefs stands as its

endemic protector, while its seemingly simple behavior serves as a catalyst

for spawning many different interpretations in visitors' minds regarding its

role and function within this virtual "techosystem." Although an intricate

hard shell separates the real world from the iBot's (and whose visual

manifestation is also found in the smaller circles located on each side of

the artifact), through the use of hand holes, visitors are able to

momentarily "dip" their arms into iBot's world, generating aural feedback

and consequently temporarily altering their own visual reflection in amusing

As always, if you do find yourselves checking the place out, your comments

Should you happen to have any additional questions and/or concerns, please

Director, DISIS Interactive Sound & Intermedia Studio

For those finding themselves in the vicinity of Roanoke, VA, on November 7th
there was a grand opening of the new Taubman Museum of Art that is currently
showing (among other things) a Revo-Over exhibit featuring (among others)
three installations running Max/Jitter. The exhibit will be open until March
2009.

>From a technology perspective, one of the exhibits features the new "mu" (as
in Greek letter mu) toolkit recently developed at VT DISIS
(http://disis.music.vt.edu) that allows for easy integration of Unity3D
(http://www.unity3d.com) and Max (we intend to make the tool publicly
available hopefully in the next week or so). The exhibit in question titled
"Elemental" utilizes virtual 3D environment for trajectory/collision
calculation while the Max monitors visitors' motion through a homebrew IR
camera and projects their actions over a 12-speaker 4x3 ceiling-mounted
array.

Here are also a few relevant (albeit somewhat incomplete links) about the
project and individual installations:
http://www.taubmanmuseum.org/ 
http://digitalartresearchcollective.blogspot.com/ 

For more info on VT DISIS, please visit:
http://disis.music.vt.edu

For those interested in more info, below is the artistic/technical hybrid
description of the three Max-based pieces:

ELEMENTAL
Elemental functions both as a standalone artwork and as a unifying aural
component of the Revo-Over installation. Occupying entire exhibit space, the
piece utilizes equidistantly spaced 4x3 speaker array suspended from the
ceiling. Using an infra-red (IR) spotlights and IR camera the installation
captures visitors' traversal throughout the room and accompanies their
motion with sounds of water ripples. The resulting aural landscape portrays
a soothing image of navigating a calm waist-deep body of water. Apart from
the fact that visitors' motion generates no tactile feedback commonly
associated with water, the surreal is further amplified by the aural cues
that emanate above, rather than from below. As ripples propagate throughout
the space, they are affected by the physical forces that define the world
around us, refracting from the walls and slowly dissolving until all of
their kinetic energy is drained. Occasionally, ripples clash against each
other spawning a flurry of ever-changing sonorities, thus marking spots
where visitors' paths may already have or are about to cross, or where an
individual has caught-up with the wave they generated only a moment ago. The
ensuing aural fabric serves as a foundation for an ever-changing soundscape
whose structure depends entirely upon visitors' actions and interactions.

CYRENE REEFS (two installations)
Cyrene Reefs is devised in collaboration with a conceptual artist Eric
Standley (VT) and can be seen as a pair of ornate musical instruments or
sculptural metaphors of instruments that draw inspiration from the mythical
story of sirens. While at the first sight the installations offer a
relatively simple form of interaction, just like any other musical
instrument their full potential (akin to virtuosity of playing a musical
instrument) can be uncovered only through closer inspection.

The first sculpture is populated by three arm-sized holes that can be
explored by inserting hands offer audio-visual feedback building upon the
metaphor of elements, namely fire, water, and air. The interaction with the
ensuing sound is also accompanied by visual feedback in a form of an
ever-changing organic shape populating the projection dome whose properties
are affected by the aforesaid elements. The sounds of the elements that grow
as the hand is inserted deeper into respective holes are accompanied by a
seductive ever-changing melody whose range and loudness grows proportionally
to the concurrent presence of the three elements.

The second sculpture is populated by five smaller holes that can be explored
by inserting hands offer unique audio-visual feedback building upon the
metaphor of elements established in the first sculpture, in this case the
element of earth. The interaction with the ensuing sound is also accompanied
by the visual feedback in a form of distorting camera projection found on
both sides of the sculpture. Just like the first instrument, only through
virtuosity and persistence does the sculpture disclose all of its aural and
visual secrets.

>From a visual perspective, the two sides of the second sculpture are
populated by infrared (IR) cameras that project their respective images on
opposite sides of the sculpture, suggesting that one can see directly
through the large circular openings found on each side of the artifact.
Inside this "transparent" space resides a tiny iBot (eye-bot) that is
capable of observing nearby visitors, often by uncomfortably staring at them
for prolonged periods of time. In the event there are visitors on both sides
of the artifact, the iBot will often shift its attention from one side to
the other as it sees fit, encouraging observers to seek its undivided
attention. This sole "living organism" of the cyrene reefs stands as its
endemic protector, while its seemingly simple behavior serves as a catalyst
for spawning many different interpretations in visitors' minds regarding its
role and function within this virtual "techosystem." Although an intricate
hard shell separates the real world from the iBot's (and whose visual
manifestation is also found in the smaller circles located on each side of
the artifact), through the use of hand holes, visitors are able to
momentarily "dip" their arms into iBot's world, generating aural feedback
and consequently temporarily altering their own visual reflection in amusing
and engaging ways.

As always, if you do find yourselves checking the place out, your comments
are most welcome and appreciated.

Should you happen to have any additional questions and/or concerns, please
do not hesitate to contact me.

Ivica Ico Bukvic, D.M.A.
Composition, Music Technology
Director, DISIS Interactive Sound & Intermedia Studio
Assistant Co-Director, CCTAD
CHCI, CS, and Art (by courtesy)
Virginia Tech
Dept. of Music - 0240
Blacksburg, VA 24061
(540) 231-6139
(540) 231-5034 (fax)
ico@vt.edu
http://www.music.vt.edu/faculty/bukvic/

ANN: three exhibits using Max at the new Taubman Museum of Art