AV Evening #1 2023

Fragments: The Shape of Things, ALMA (Alexandre Saunier & Marc-André Cossette)

Fragments is an audiovisual performance in which ALMA interacts in real-time with artificial intelligence and artificial life algorithms to generate and modulate a poetic immersive experience. The work reflects on the anonymization and aestheticization of global conflicts and daily relationships that emerge from the use of artificial intelligence systems.

The performance uses the concept of fragments—small elements that are transformed and reconfigured—to explore the technological mediation of human perception and memory. These fragments consist of sounds, videos, and photogrammetric objects sourced from current events, created by the artists, or generated by algorithms. During the performance, these fragments are analyzed and modulated live by a set of Markov chains and neural networks. Before the audience, ALMA orchestrates the action of these algorithms, guiding viewers on a poetic journey from emptiness and darkness toward a growing torrent of sonic and visual stimuli.

Spandrel?, Evita Manji

Evita Manji performs her latest album, Spandrel?.

Through this introspective work, Evita poses thought-provoking questions about resilience in the face of a sense of immense loss and explores the distinction between the essential elements of the self and mere ornamentation. The tracks, expertly crafted from a rich blend of contemporary club music, baroque pop, and experimental sound design, provide a lens through which Evita examines her relationships with the world at large and her own internal landscape. By deconstructing systems of control and emphasizing interconnectivity, Evita invites listeners on a transformative journey. Evita Manji stands at the forefront of a musical revolution, fearlessly pushing boundaries and creating an impressive auditory landscape. With her experimental productions, classical compositions, and enchanting vocals, Evita continues to defy the norm, inviting listeners to embark on a transformative journey where sound knows no limits. Through her music, Evita weaves complex tapestries of emotion, reflecting the complexity of the human experience and the interconnectivity of all things.

Tesh, Lorem

Following the installation Distrust Everything, Tesh is the performative version of this new chapter of the work. Combining dream transcriptions and excerpts of literature—at times slightly strange—through the use of machine learning systems, the piece weaves sonic and narrative elements into Lorem’s asymmetrical, dreamlike imagery. Tesh is an anthem to the imagination as an escape from the realism that weighs upon our language and our experience of the world.

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