Trails

Daniel Bisig and Philippe Kocher (2013)

Philippe Kocher (sound), Daniel Bisig (image)

Trails is an audiovisual artwork that consists exclusively of abstract audio and video generated in real-time. The work employs custom developed software for the real-time generation of the compositional, musical and visual structure by means of flocking simulations. This work experiments with synchronicity, structural analogies and aesthetic relationships between the two modalities. It poses the question whether a strong coherence on a structural level results in a similarly strong coherence on an perceptual level.

Trails was originally conceived as a generative artwork that evolves spontaneously without any human intervention. In order to adapt the work to the Immersive Lab, certain properties of the simulation have been rendered accessible for interactive manipulation. By touching the screen, visitors can influence the spatial position or confinement of the entities of the flocking simulation and thereby affect the generation of audio and video.


Trails by Daniel Bisig and Philippe Kocher, filmed at ICST in 2014 (video DB/PK).


Artist Interview with Daniel Bisig and Philippe Kocher, talking about the piece’s origins, making, results and experiences of working in the immersive lab (in German).

More impressions of the piece from several open door exhibits and perceptual investigation events.

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