Category Archives: Events

BSc Digital Arts Computing, Events, Students, Women in Computing

Review: Digital Arts Masterclass with Nicolas Malevé

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On 22 January 2016, Digital Arts Computing recently had the pleasure of meeting Belgian visual artist, self-taught software programmer and data activist Nicolas Malevé. Undergraduate student Isabella Maund reports on what happened.

Based in Barcelona, internationally active Malevé is a core member of Constant for Arts and Media, an artist run non-profit organization that explores an interdisciplinary approach to art, media and technology. Technical curiosity is what led to Malevé’s interest in data and the creative analysis of data.

Active Archives, a research project led by Malevé and Michael Murtaugh, investigates the mutation of an archive in a digital context. With his peers he is redefining our understanding of archives and focusing on original ways to classify, annotate and disseminate archives of images, with a strong focus on photography.

This masterclass was particularly relevant and fascinating, as data has become a large and ever growing part of our everyday lives. We are constantly creating and interacting with data through everyday searches, selfies, public transport, etc. Huge amounts of data are constantly being collected, becoming a resource that is transforming society.

Data collection has become a growing topic of conversation in the art world. Current exhibition Big Bang Data at the Somerset House has brought together artists, journalists and designers to further discuss data and its huge presence in our everyday lives, and what this may mean for our future.

Guttormsgaard: Orderings Random Walk (2) from Michael Murtaugh on Vimeo.

“It was interesting to see how Nicolas’s own passion for archiving lead him to discover new and interesting ways to computationally categorise images. Analysing data in a way that is so notoriously difficult to do. His additional insight – that redacted documents reveal almost a core template – was also inspiring, leading me to think of several ideas for my own upcoming projects.” Joe McAlister, BSc Digital Arts Computing

“I enjoyed hearing Nicolas talk to us about his work, and the way that he approaches the subject matter as a computational artist. Getting feedback from him was really valuable in helping me develop my ideas about the place of computers in my work, and the discussions about our subject area were extremely interesting.” Rebecca Dunn, BSc Digital Arts Computing

 

Events, Publications, Staff profiles and activity, Students

EVENT: Goldsmiths Global Game Jam

GlobalGameJam2013_Welcome

Goldsmiths students and staff – join us for the Global Game Jam 2016, hosted by Hacksmiths, IGGI and the Goldsmiths Computing Department.

Spend a weekend making a game with some of the most creative students in London! No need to form teams beforehand – just turn up and join in.

When: 4pm Friday 29 January – 7pm Sunday 31 January 2016
Where: St James Hatcham Building (the church), Goldsmiths, St James. New Cross, London SE14 6NW
Tickets: Free. Reserve a space now

Space is limited, so be sure to reserve a ticket. We’ll open participant registration on our GGJ page when the jam has started.

Open to Goldsmiths students and staff only.

Study Games Computing at Goldsmiths:

EAVI, Events, Videos

EAVI XV: Electronic & experimental music gig

EAVIXV_landscape960x540

EAVI is back for 2016 with a killer line up of Vindicatrix, Acolytes, Human Heads, Recsund, Rebecca Wilcox and Marguerite Latica – plus DJs.

This month we are celebrating being awarded funding by Goldsmiths’ Annual Fund. This will help EAVI to build audiences for events – and pay performers for their work.

8pm till late, Thursday 21 January 2016
Amersham Arms, New Cross Road, London SE14 6TY
Tickets £5 on the door or buy online

Vindicatrix
http://vindicatrix.tumblr.com/
We’re thrilled that Vindicatrix is bringing his inimitable, murky style to EAVI, where the macabre crooning of Scott Walker meets the cavernous bass of early dubstep and fragmented rnb.

Acolytes
https://soundcloud.com/alterstock/acolytes-phases-alt19
Acolytes is a new signing on Helm’s Alterstock label, and is soon to go on tour with Helm and Drew McDowall (ex-Coil). He brings a unique blend of smoked (or should that be vaped?) out beats, sliding in and out of ‘pop’, and has drawn comparisons to the Residents and the Art Cows.

Human Heads
http://humanheads.tumblr.com/
Acclaimed in the Wire for their “lightly broken music”, Mancunian improv trio Human Heads sound on occasion like Throbbing Gristle reconstructed using keyboards found at a car boot sale, with both uncanny menace and a skewed pop charm.

Recsund
http://recsund.tumblr.com/
Recsund is the musical moniker of prolific digital artist Clifford Sage. His most recent music is being released on the ever compelling Quantum Natives. He combines glorious acid-tinged melodies with occasional raps and heartbreaking ambiences.

Rebecca Wilcox
https://vimeo.com/rebeccawilcox
Glasgow based artist Rebecca Wilcox has organised and curated a number of exhibitions, including work at the Glasgow International Festival. She is described by the CCA to be “one of the most outstanding young artists working in Scotland today”. She will be performing using spoken word and sounds with a loop pedal.

Marguerite Latica
https://soundcloud.com/estoesloques
This is the debut performance for the duo of designer / musician Adriana Rojas Viquez and performance artist Cliodhna Murphy. Expect dismantled, disorientating pop (George Michael?) alongside compelling, intriguing performance art.

We are thrilled to be having DJ sets from the always excellent Chloe Alice Freida (who hosts the Alien Jams radio show on NTS and runs the Alien Jams label) and Team GBH (the DJ alter ego of recent EAVI performer Quitters). Expect dancing late into the night!

Supported by Goldsmiths’ Annual Fund

EAVI is the Embodied Audio Visual Interaction research unit at Goldsmiths Computing. We’re interested in motion capture, brain- computer and bio-interfaces, machine learning, auditory culture and more. EAVI gigs take this research from lab to stage, with exciting, up-and-coming performers playing alongside big names in electronic & experimental art and sound. Learn more about EAVI

Events, News, Staff profiles and activity, Women in Computing

World’s first computer-generated musical set for West End premiere

beyondthefence1

The first musical theatre production to be conceived and crafted by computers makes its debut in February 2016, with a premise and plot created by Goldsmiths, University of London’s ‘What-If Machine’.

2016. The computer revolution. In a world becoming ever more technologically advanced and reliant upon computers, machine learning and artificial intelligence are rapidly and fundamentally changing every aspect of human experience.

But how does technology affect art and the creative process? Can a computer ever create an entertaining and emotionally powerful show?

Presented by Wingspan Theatricals and Sky Arts, Beyond the Fence runs at the Arts Theatre in London’s West End from 22 February – 5 March 2016, directed by Luke Sheppard, choreographed by Cressida Carre and produced by Neil Laidlaw.

Beyond the Fence is both conceived and substantially crafted by computer, modeled on a statistical study of the ‘recipe for success’ in hit musicals.

In collaboration with leading experts in music, computation and the science of human creativity, composer Benjamin Till and his husband, writer and actor Nathan Taylor (the award-winning team behind Channel 4’s ‘Our Gay Wedding: The Musical‘), will bring a range of computer-generated material to life.

Designed and co-ordinated by Dr Catherine Gale, the whole process is also being filmed for a Sky Arts TV series titled ‘Computer Says Show’, to be broadcast in spring 2016.

Beyond the Fence started as an experiment, with researchers delving into what makes a good musical, from production and story to music and lyrics.

The process began with a predictive, big data analysis of success in musical theatre conducted at the University of Cambridge. Researchers interrogated everything from cast size to backdrop, emotional structure to the importance of someone falling in love, dying (or both!) – in more and less successful shows – to create a set of constraints to which the musical had to conform, to theoretically optimise chances of success.

Dr Teresa Llano from Goldsmiths explains to Benjamin Till and Nathan Taylor the workings behind the What-If Machine, the system that has provided the premise for ‘Beyond the Fence’
Dr Teresa Llano from Goldsmiths explains to Benjamin Till and Nathan Taylor the workings behind the What-If Machine, the system that has provided the premise for ‘Beyond the Fence’

Next, the team visited what’s known as the What-If Machine at Goldsmiths.

The Machine was created under a three year initiative, starting in 2013, to answer the question of whether creative software can move to the next level by generating, assessing, and presenting interesting ideas – whether it’s stories, jokes, films or paintings – that are really valued by the people who are exposed to them.

Funded by the European Community’s Seventh Framework Programme and with Goldsmiths Computing’s Professor Simon Colton, Dr Teresa Llano and Dr Rose Hepworth at the helm, the machine generated multiple central premises, featuring key characters, for a show.

From those options, the team selected this as the starting point and the original idea for the musical:

What if a wounded soldier had to learn how to understand a child in order to find true love?

September 1982. Mary and her daughter George are celebrating one year of living at the Greenham Common peace camp. The group of women they have joined are all committed to stopping the arrival of US cruise missiles through non-violent protest. When Mary is faced with losing her child to the authorities, an unlikely ally is found in US Airman Jim Meadow. How can she continue to do what is best for her daughter while staying true to her ideals?

A plot structure for the musical was also generated computationally, thanks to work led by Dr Pablo Gervás (Complutense University of Madrid), with a team then writing lyrics with the assistance of some other computational tools, that fitted all these constraints.

Finally, the music has been provided by Dr Nick Collins (Durham University) through his computer composition system Android Lloyd Webber, based on a machine listening analysis of musical theatre music at Queen Mary and City University, with additional material generated using the FlowComposer system created at Sony Computer Science Laboratory in Paris.

This blog post is an adaptation of a news story written by Sarah Cox, first published on Goldsmiths News.

Events, News, Videos

← Subscribe here to win BIG BANG DATA tickets

COMPETITION NOW CLOSED.

We’re giving away two free tickets to the new Somerset House exhibition BIG BANG DATA.

BIG BANG DATA is a major new exhibition at Somerset House featuring artists, designers and innovators exploring how the data explosion is transforming our world.

To enter the competition, subscribe to Goldsmiths Computing’s blog using the ‘GET POSTS BY EMAIL’ widget on the left of this blogpost. This will sign you up to receive new blogposts by email. (If you can’t see the sign-up widget, go to the homepage)

Closing date: 11pm Sunday 3 January 2016

bigbangdata

We will email the two winners on Monday 4 January with info on how to claim the free ticket for a time slot of your choice.

And if you’re not a ticket-winner, you still win. You get lots of wonderful blogposts about Goldsmiths’ fascinating, extraordinary department of Computing. And if you book a group of 10 or more people, BIG BANG DATA will give you 10% off – just quote the discount code GROUP10BBD. Merry Christmas!

Small print: This offer is valid until 28 February 2016 (subject to availability). Open daily 10.00 – 18.00 (last admission 17.15). Late night Thursdays & Fridays until 21.00 (last admission 20.15). Under 12s are free (no booking required). Visitors with disabilities can bring an escort / carer free of charge (no booking required).

Update!
Creative Data Club is running a BIG BANG DATA special event on Thursday 28 January 2016. Speakers include Kate Hayes & Mathieu Barthet, who present their Open Symphony project (which invites audience to influence the musical direction of the performers through a web based app manifested in live data visualisations). Register for your free ticket here

Events, Staff profiles and activity, Videos, Women in Computing

Ergonomics, autism & audience participation at the Science Museum

sarah2

Post doc teaching & research fellow Sarah Wiseman reports on a talk she recently gave at at the Science Museum’s Night Owls event.

The Science Museum Lates are a staple of any London geek’s calendar – once a month the museum opens its doors for an adults-only evening of events. These range from talks and quizzes, to workshops and printmaking, all of which can be as wine-fuelled as you desire. Each month they are packed with eager adults hoping to get a look around the museum without any children hogging all the fun toys.

The museum is now trying out a new idea for an evening event, and this one has a slightly different aim. A sister event to the morning Early Birds scheme, the Science Museum’s Night Owls events run on a Saturday evening after the museum so that families with children with autism can experience the museum in quieter, calmer settings. In the words of the museum, “Night Owls enables young adults who have Autism to come along and enjoy the museum free from the hustle and bustle of the general public.”

This November I was asked to give an in-depth talk on a topic relating to engineering, physics or maths. I wanted to talk about something I’m excited and passionate about, so naturally I chose to talk about the design of the telephone keypad. This is not only a topic that I myself find fascinating, but it’s a great introduction to the concept of Human Factors Engineering.

Arriving on Saturday evening before the event opened was eerie – I’d never seen the museum so quiet. I had to resist the urge to pretend I was the only one there and go exploring.

I gave two talks through the evening to small groups of people. The small groups meant I felt like I was having a chat with everyone there rather than giving a presentation. It also made the audience participation parts a bit easier for me – it’s far easier to pick on people when you’ve been chatting to them just a moment earlier.

The audiences were enthusiastic and chatty, with plenty of questions for me both during and after the talks. I have to say that this was refreshing, as the room can sometimes be a bit quiet when talking to students this age. But this audience had plenty to ask to me; some even went so far as to suggest new interfaces that could be designed in the future. There was also some post-talk career advice to one eager student, as I explained my experience of moving from my undergraduate to my PhD to my current post doc.

sarah3

The evening was really fun for me. I love talking about things I’m excited by – and to get an enthusiastic reception makes it all the better. I had a great time talking to the young adults who came along, as well as their friends and family. This was the first of the Night Owls events, and I could see that everyone who came along really appreciated the evening. I only hope this isn’t the last!

Sarah Wiseman is a post doc teaching and research fellow working on Human Computer Interaction at Goldsmiths Computing. Her interests lie in understanding more about number entry and errors, and investigating the use of haptic technologies to improve cultural experiences for people with visual impairments. She has also begun exploring citizen science, and how that might be a useful tool when recruiting for HCI experiments.

She really enjoys talking about research, and has done stand-up comedy based on it. She likes engaging people with science and other interesting ideas. Her other passion is making things – working with arduinos, sifteo cubes and general crafts.

EAVI, Events, Women in Computing

UK premiere: Laetitia Sonami performs Radigue’s “OCCAM IX for Electronic Spring Spyre”

sonami_headshot

We are pleased to announce a rare and intimate concert by Laetitia Sonami for the UK premiere of Eliane Radigue’s “OCCAM IX for Electronic Spring Spyre”.

WHEN: Wednesday 2 December 2015. 7.30pm for 8pm start
WHERE: SIML Space (G05), St James Hatcham, New Cross. View map
BOOK TICKETS: Free online registration

There will be an open Q&A session with Laetitia after the performance. Laetitia will also hold a free workshop on 3 December 2015 at Goldsmiths (separate registration required).

ABOUT OCCAM IX
OCCAM IX inscribes itself in a larger series of compositions entitled OCCAM OCEAN created by composer Eliane Radigue for, and with instrumentalists and composers. Compositions for harp, violin, viola, bass clarinet, and cello have been created with Rhodri Davis, Carol Robinson, Charles Curtis, amongst others and received critical acclaim.

This ninth composition was created with Laetitia Sonami on electronics with an instrument designed for the occasion by Sonami, named the Electronic Spring Spyre. Sonami originally studied with Radigue in France in 1976. While her music took on a very different expression through her design of unique controllers and live performance, they both remained vey close. In 2011 Sonami requested Eliane to create a piece for her new instrument. This instrument is made of springs which are being analyzed by neural networks. These “impress” the activity of the mechanical springs onto the sound synthesis in real-time.

ABOUT LAETITIA SONAMI
Composer, performer, and sound installation artist Laetitia Sonami was born in France and settled in the United States in 1975 to pursue her interest in the emerging field of electronic music. She studied with Eliane Radigue, Joel Chadabe, Robert Ashley and David Behrman.

Laetitia Sonami’s sound installations combine audio and kinetic elements embedded in ubiquitous objects such as light bulbs, rubber gloves, bags and more recently toilet plungers. She collects electrical wire and embroids them in walls.

Her work combines text, music and “found sound” from the world, in compositions which have been described as “performance novels. Her signature instrument, the Lady’s Glove, is fitted with a vast array of sensors which track the slightest motion of her enigmatic dance: with it Sonami can create performances where her movements can shape the music and in some instances visual environments. The lady’s glove has become a fine instrument which challenges notions of technology and virtuosity.

Please note that there will be no admission to the concert once the performance has started. Seating is limited, if you require a seat or have any accessibility requirements please email sh@goldsmithsdigital.com in advance of the concert.

The concert is organised by the Embodied Audio Visual Interaction group (EAVI) and Goldsmiths’ Music department.