In addition to the performances, please join us for a Workshop and an Artist Talk by select members of the creative team in the week leading up to the shows.
May 13-15: Machine Learning & Computer Vision Workshop
May 16: discrete figures Artist Talk: Daito Manabe, Mikiko & Kyle McDonald
May 17-18: 'discrete figures 2019' Performances
$20 In Advance
$25 Day of Event
Doors 6pm
Lecture + Q&A 7pm-9pm
In advance of 'discrete figures 2019' performances, Gray Area brings together Daito Manabe co-director of Rhizomatiks Research, choreographer Mikiko of Elevenplay, and creative technologist Kyle McDonald for a conversation on the technologies and techniques that bring the multidisciplinary dance performance to life.
In this artist talk, Daito Manabe, Mikiko and Kyle McDonald will discuss the driving forces behind their cross-disciplinary collaboration for ‘discrete figures 2019.’ The artists will provide illuminating insight on the inspirations behind the boundary-pushing work, the technology that powers the project, and the potential of human-machine collaboration.
The artists will present on their areas of expertise and discuss the machine learning, augmented reality, and drone techniques utilized in ‘discrete figures 2019,’ to expand on the concept and background of this expansive work. The artist talk will conclude with a question and answer period from the audience.
Tokyo-based artist, interaction designer, programmer, and DJ. Launched Rhizomatiks in 2006. Since 2015, has served alongside Motoi Ishibashi as co-director of Rhizomatiks Research, the firm’s division dedicated to exploring new possibilities in the realms of technical and artistic expression with a focus on R&D-intensive projects. Specially-appointed professor at Keio University SFC. Manabe’s work in design, art, and entertainment takes a new approach to everyday materials and phenomenon. However, his end goal is not simply rich, high-definition realism by recognizing and recombining these familiar elemental building blocks. Rather, his practice is informed by careful observation to discover and elucidate the essential potentialities inherent to the human body, data, programming, computers, and other phenomena, thus probing the interrelationships and boundaries delineating the analog and digital, real and virtual. Photo by Akinori Ito.
MIKIKO, a stage designer/choreographer, has taken an artistic direction and choreographed for almost fifty world-famous Japanese artists like Perfume, BABYMETAL, Ringo Shiina and more. She has won many awards in the field of performing arts, and her choreography has been widely appreciated in the Japanese Pop scene. It is safe to say that MIKIKO is one of the greatest choreographers in Japan.
Kyle McDonald is an LA-based multidisciplinary artist, researcher, and educator whose work explores the intersection of technology and humanity. He crafts interactive and immersive audiovisual installations, performances, and new tools for creative exploration—building new communities and collaborations along the way. He uses techniques from computer vision, machine learning, and computing to ask questions about how we connect—and to imagine a shared future. Kyle has received grants and commissions from the IDFA DocLab, LACMA, NEA, Schirn Kunsthalle, STRP Festival, the V&A, YCAM, and more. His presents, leads workshops, and exhibits his work internationally at Ars Electronica, APAP, Art Center Nabi, Art Rock Festival, Alien Arts Center, Cornell, Day for Night, HeK, Hong Kong Arts Center, LLUM, Microwave, MU, NTT ICC, Onassis Cultural Center, Science Gallery, Sónar, TodaysArt, and many others. Kyle also works as a technical and creative director through his studio IYOIYO. He consults on machine learning with a speciality in sound and music for companies like Google and Spotify, and for other artists including Chris Milk, Eduardo Kac, Es Devlin, Joanie Lemercier, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, Wafaa Bilal, and others.
Dance company directed by choreographer & art director, MIKIKO. ELEVENPLAY was founded by MIKIKO in 2009, in the hopes of creating dancers who possess highly artistic sense and creativity on top of exquisite techniques, body and spirit. Composed of female dancers from a variety of genre, ELEVENPLAY's methods of expression are diverse, including stages, video works, and still photos.
Rhizomatiks Research mainly takes up projects focusing on the field of research and development, and sets priority in opening a new expression for the future. The team which is leading Rhizomatiks Research, has produced projects with artists such as Perfume and ELEVENPLAY in addition to media-art and data-art projects, and is also in charge of all processes through the projects―planning, implementation and operation.
