The work focuses on the "pulse" of the jellyfish, a simplistic system which has sustained the species for over 600 million years. The real jellyfish’s pulsations are captured and analyzed in real-time using TouchDesigner and OpenCV, which triggers sounds and effects via Max for Live. The holographic jellyfish are generated through deep learning, mimicking the real jellyfish’s rhythm and integrated into the same sound system, creating a parallel between the "real" and "virtual" creatures. The work follows a process of imitation, observation, and deconstruction, exploring the relationship between humans, non-human species, and technology. By programming a holographic jellyfish to imitate the real one, the performer highlights the anthropocentric nature of translating nature into art. This process raises questions about how humans interact with non-human-centered technology, emphasizing the inherent violence and convenience inevitably involved in such translations. By incorporating sonic noise and glitches, and superimposing human rhythms onto the jellyfish’s rhythms, the performer creates a dynamic tension that disrupts the often idealized image of nature. The performance embraces deviations, showcasing the unpredictability of interspecies interaction. The work places nature-derived pulsation (of the Moon jellyfish) and human technology (AI hologram jellyfish) on the same level, and asks the viewer questions such as “what is nature?” “how do we accept imitated life?” and “what kind of violence does the desire to possess nature entail?". The aim of this work is to create a place where the viewer's values are shaken through a speculative musical expression that is neither pure ecological glorification nor technological glorification.
Director : Sogen Handa
Original Ideation, Co-Director : Kenshiro Taira
Technical Director : Sogen Handa
Production Manager : Kenshiro Taira
Stage Director, Sound Designer : Nimisha Anand
Production Designer, Installer : Risako Shibata
System Engineer : Sogen Handa
Sound/Lighting Design and Programmer : Sogen Handa
Aquarium Designer, Installer : Kenshiro Taira
Original Ideation, Co-Director : Kenshiro Taira
Technical Director : Sogen Handa
Production Manager : Kenshiro Taira
Stage Director, Sound Designer : Nimisha Anand
Production Designer, Installer : Risako Shibata
System Engineer : Sogen Handa
Sound/Lighting Design and Programmer : Sogen Handa
Aquarium Designer, Installer : Kenshiro Taira
Special Thanks : Keio University SFC x-Music Lab(Shinya Fujii Lab)
The work has also received supervision from Dr.Sho Toshino, Senior Researcher at the Kuroshio Biological Research Foundation(Japan) to ensure the jellyfish were handled in an ethical, and harmless manner.
The work has also received supervision from Dr.Sho Toshino, Senior Researcher at the Kuroshio Biological Research Foundation(Japan) to ensure the jellyfish were handled in an ethical, and harmless manner.
