A team from Art-A-Hack™ Summer 2016

Team members:

  • Gordey Chernyy
  • Mariya Mishurenko
  • Adriana Molello
  • Anirudh "Eka"
  • Enki Andrews
  • Julia Frey

What would it mean to “virtually dissect” your ego, and discover its component parts? This was the question asked by the “Echoing Ego” team, leading to the creation of an installation and performance piece.

The team’s performance at the final presentation
Julia Frey, left, performing at the final presentation

The work was demonstrated in the final Art-A-Hack 2016 show, during which team member Julia Frey used her body movement to control a virtual ‘puppet’ projected on the wall.

The team working together on the project
The team working together on the project

Team members divided into focus areas based on their interests and talents. Gordey Chernyy wrote visual code in paper.js. He was helped by Anirudh Dhullipalla, who also wrote and recorded poetry, played back during the performance.

Mariya Mishurenko coordinated the team and created the beautiful illustrations used in the interactive projections.

A sketch of a character used in the performance
A sketch of a character used in the performance

Enki Andrews and Julia Frey collaborated on interactive data capture and flow from a kinect sensor using Max/MSP. Enki also created the interactive sound modulation system using BEAP, while Julia crafted and prepared her live performance.

Musician Adriana Molello composed the tone-setting soundtrack for the installation, a recording of which is available on SoundCloud.

Among the challenges the team faced was learning new technologies. Gordeyy and Anirudh didn’t have previous experience with paper.js, having worked previously in openFrameworks. Maria’s previous experience was in Unity and C#.

The team's presentation at the 2016 showcase

Inspired by the outcomes of the project, some team members are now working towards creating a related experience for the Microsoft Hololens.