Alchemy of Radical Softness, Gestures, and Sound
Softness, as defined by Annika Hansteen-Izora, is the practice of holding deep, slow, and intentional presence with the bodymind, and our collective bodyminds. This hybrid artist talk and hands-on demo explores how softness can be embodied in interaction and performance design, with a focus on gestural and physical sensors in instrument creation. Based on their MA thesis work, which is a paintbrush-instrument that translates the fluid gestures of Chinese calligraphy into a richly-textured spatial sonic landscape, the artist shares insights into intentional and innovative approaches to instrument design. Participants will be introduced to the creative use of physical computing, microcontrollers, and sensor technologies, and guided through a step-by-step process for imagining and building their own first musical instrument.
Learning Outcomes
Understand how concepts like softness can be embodied in interaction and performance design.
Gain familiarity with different types of gestural and physical sensors used in musical instrument creation.
Learn how microcontrollers and physical computing can be applied to creative, performance-based contexts.
Develop a step-by-step framework for prototyping their own experimental musical instrument.
Practical skills to continue experimenting with sensor-based performance tools.
Program
Welcome & Introduction
Artist Talk: - What is Radical Softness?
Chinese Calligraphy as Embodied Practice
Philosophies of Gesture, Flow, and Intentionality Deep Listening & Artistic Practice Gesture
Based Instrument Design & Demo Physical Computing & First Steps in Instrument Design Brainstorm Activity Closing + Q&A
Instructor Bio
SENAIDA (pronounced “shuh-nay-duh”) is a Hakka Chinese-Canadian transdisciplinary artist, sound healer, researcher and curator, whose work embodies a profound exploration of the intersections between shamanism, posthumanism, generative art, interaction design, and sustainability. As a sound architect, international dj, and creative entrepreneur, SENAIDA crafts liminal collective experiences that challenge and redefine the boundaries of sound art and technology. Their work has been featured in the CTM Festival, Cannes Next Film Festival, NYC Media Lab, Abbey Road Red, NAMM, New Visions for Music & Sound, MANIFEST:IO, Maschinenhaus Berlin, and the Wavy Awards.
SENAIDA is the visionary founder and resident DJ of WE ARE THE FUTURE!, a queer BIPOC collective, label and curated art party in NYC, where they seamlessly blend interdisciplinary collaboration with forward-thinking artistry. They are a graduate of NYU’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music (BFA) and Interactive Media Arts Low Residency (MA) where they honed their ability to merge the worlds of sound, visual art and technology. SENAIDA's genre-defying installations have garnered critical acclaim, supported by numerous grants and awards, reflecting their commitment to pushing the envelope of artistic expression.