A guest is admitted into a dark, narrow room. Inside are a performer (myself), an interactive table, two headphones, a glowing button, and many small objects that could have come from the drawer of a child of the 1990s.

The performer invites the guest to touch and move everything they see and hear: Let’s play together—but without speaking. Then, a small light next to the table is switched on; the game may begin!
 

Each time the glowing button is pressed, a two-dimensional, audiovisual, dynamic object appears for about two minutes on the surface of the table (a multi-touch screen), which both players can move freely with their fingertips.

Time (how often audiovisual events appear) and the spatial relationships between the objects are gradually shaped together, intuitively. Through the associative decisions of the players, unspoken rules of play emerge that reflect their personalities.
 

I selected and created the objects based on their shared associative potential on different levels (form, function, contextual origin, spatial presence, symbolism), leaving as many possible combinations open as a labyrinth of invisible threads. This approach is inspired by the psychoanalytic method of free association.

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Riccardo Castagnola: concept, video, music, programming (Unity, Touchdesigner, Max)

 

Performed at:

Homo Novus 2022 (Riga LV)

For you Eyes Only 2022 (Bremen, GER)

Miniaturen Festival 2023 (Bremen, GER)

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produced by Schwankhalle Bremen (GER)