codeklavier

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ARquatic - A CodeKlavier Augmented Reality Experience

Concept

Codeklavier’s ‘ARquatic’ is an audio and Augmented Reality experience where the live music provides the DNA of the underwater creatures unfolding before your eyes. Full of speculative, fantasy structures artificially built from L-system rules, ‘ARquatic’ superimposes unusual aquatic inspired objects in everyday environments. Whether you attend a live performance, tune in at home for a streamed experience or use ARquatic Anytime, the juxtaposition from the surroundings with the AR objects will stimulate one’s imagination by highlighting the contrasting beauty of the natural and the unnatural world.

Trailer

ARquatic Anytime

After two summer tours, several live streams and conference presentations, we have now released a version of ARquatic that one can listen to and watch anytime, anywhere. Similar to the work we made for ART+ under “The pianist gardener”, in ARquatic Anytime one can experience on demand. Just download the app, grab your headphones and you are good to go.

Download

The ARquatic app is available for download here for Apple and here for Android. You will need an Apple iPhone SE/6S model (or later) or one of the Android phones listed here. You can also simply follow the link for the app download and try out the demo channel. It is useful to do this in advance in case your phone does not support AR but your tablet does - in which case, we advise you to bring your tablet! If you do not own an AR supported device, a non-AR version will still show visuals on your Android phone.

Past Shows

Tuesday June 13
ARquatic will be streamed during HashiCorp’s HashiDays Online and on site.
You can register for the online event for free here

Friday Januari 28
ARquatic at the on-the-fly: Live Coding Hacklab
Zentrum voor Kunst en Media, Karlsruhe
Tijd: 20.00

Summer Tour September - October 2022
Gardens and Festivals throughout the Netherlands
More details on Dutch site

Thursday November 27
Discourse on XR/AR/VR
Talk about ARquatic by Patrick Borgeat at Update Festival

Thursday December 2
ARquatic: Mixed Reality and music
Talk and stream of ARquatic at Home for the Mixed Reality symposium at Nottingham University
Time: 16h

Sunday December 5
ARquatic and CodeKlavier collaboration discussion
With Joana Chicau, Renick Bell, Timo Hoogland and Saskia Freeke
More info to follow
Time: 14-16h

Friday August 27 “ARquatic” at de Kwekerij Hilverum
Times: 16.00, 17.00 & 18.00
Click here to make your reservation

Friday August 6
“ARquatic at Home” - streamed version online
More info here

Sunday June 6 “ARquatic Live” at the Pinetum Blijdenstein, Hilversum
Times: 14.00, 15.00 & 16.00
Click here to make your reservation

Sunday June 13th
“More than just Music” Festival at Toets des Tijds, Amsterdam and in combination with other performances.
Times: 17.00 & 20.00
Tickets available here

About the technology

The ‘ARquatic’ experience is made possible by three key technological elements and stages; CodeKlavier, Lindemayer and the ARquatic App.

CodeKlavier: a system that enables the pianist to code by playing the piano. In ‘ARquatic’, this pianist is using the CKalcuλator module to create numbers using lambda calculus. These numbers are then translated into symbols used in the Lindenmayer systems engine.

The L-systems engine is the second element and transforms the symbols into formal grammars defining the starting point and L-system rules. Together these form the L-system trees creating the structures of the AR visual elements which you see.

These structures, along with some characteristics of the piano playing, are then applied to the visuals designed by Patrick Borgeat and rendered in Unity. This is the final step of the technological process and produces the AR visuals which you experience during the show on the ARquatic app.

Motivation

Our inspiration for working with L-systems comes primarily from its roots in nature and organic growth which we would like to bring to the musical and programming paradigms. Whilst L-systems are already widely used in generative art and music, we are interested in exploring how this simple model can be used by the piano coder to express complex structures and how its rules will shape the pianistic improvisation. Furthermore, Lindenmayer’s work was done here at the University of Utrecht in 1968 and building upon it through artistic exploration, makes the Netherlands a particularly special home for the development and presentation of this project.

Credits

Anne Veinberg - piano, CodeKlavier creator
Felipe Ignacio Noriega - live electronics, CodeKlavier creator
Patrick Borgeat - visuals, app developer

Sponsors

CodeKlavier was made possible by the Creative Industries Fonds NL and our angel sponsor.

The summer tour of 2023 was made possible by Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds, Gemeente Utrecht and the Creative Industries Funds NL. The performances in June and August 2021 are made possible the Fonds Podium Kunsten Balkonscenes grant.

Questions?

Email arquatic@codeklavier.space

Support

This project was made possible by the Creative Industries Fonds NL and our angel sponsor. Ongoing work is limited to preparations for gigs at festivals and venues that book us for concerts. Do you believe in the project and would like to support us further? please consider “buying us a coffee”. Every little bit counts and we greatly appreciate your support!

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