umbrella label collective
Designing 'Pulled Down By The Sky'
(July-September 2016)
Pulled Down By The Sky was an event by Umbrella Label Collective, which was held at Albany Theatre (London) on 13th of September. My job was to help design the experience with regards to the concept of the show and the values the label wanted to embody.
My first contribution was saving the label time and money, by replacing hundreds of LEDs which were to be installed all around the room with a narrow light beam pulsing down on a disco ball on the floor, which made the same effect required from the label.
My main work was to make the concert interactive. Thought programming an Arduino, using Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) and imbedding copper into the arm chair of the audience, I envisioned the concert to become an continues interaction between the audience and the stage. The music will change the mood of the audience, which can be detected using GSR. This data is then translated (using the Arduino) to change the lighting of the stage (both in colour and intensity). In other words, how the audience feels as a collective, defines how the stage is lit.
After a month of prototyping and programming the label decided not to interact with the audience directly with resulted in redeveloping the idea to be used for by the star of the show, Andalou Dog. In the end, GSR was used to read the mood of Andalou Dog, in the beginning of the show, as the narrative of the show was being played. And the data was used to projects a live illustration made by Billy Turvey, on to the screen behind him.
The more tense emotional state (due to happiness, aggression, thoughts, being horny, you name it…), the thicker the line, the bigger the curves, the more the sketch moves around the canvas. The more relaxed and empty minded, the thinner the line, smaller the curves, the more the sketch is focused at one point.