SKENE_01

[Texte disponible uniquement en anglais] Skene is a performance where elements of dance, theatre, music and animation converge in an exploratory, hybrid form of art.
The title of our proposal refers to a building in Ancient Greek Theatre that was located behind the playing area. It was originally a hut for the changing of masks and costumes but eventually became the background before which the drama was enacted. It started out as a conventional background, a skin between the actors and crowd that created a sense of spatial separation between the two. This separation was used to induce tension and anticipation in the audience. The modern concept of the theatrical scene, as an integral and functional part of the play, evolved from the Renaissance.
In the modern era of technology and automation, the boundaries between humans and machines are rapidly blurring. This transformational relationship is brought to life in our work, which addresses the long-standing romance between humans and technology.
The real-time immersive experience combines interactive audio and visuals, which are manipulated by the performers, creating a personalized experience for the audience. The dancer wears a mocap suit and controls the metahuman, along with some animations and sonic elements. This adds a layer of human expression to the performance, creating a fully integrated experience.
Processes usually associated with animation are subverted. There is no automation; all digital manifestations are controlled live: camera movements and cuts, character motion, music.
Throughout history, dance acquired many functions: social, ceremonial, competitive, erotic, martial, and sacred. It has been proposed that, before the invention of written languages, dance was an important part of the oral and performance methods of passing stories down from one generation to the next. The use of dance in ecstatic trance states and healing rituals is thought to have been another early factor in the social development of dance.
The performance begins with the dancer standing alone on a stage. In pitch dark, the dancer lights up a fire and thus the ritual unfolds. Illuminated by the Promethean flame, the performative space becomes a timeless forest where the dancer-shaman conveys her story to the tribe through non-verbal expression.
As the dance progresses, the metahuman that had once mirrored the movements of the dancer begins to express sentience...
Skene poses concerns about the possibility of machines surpassing human capabilities. The fusion of the real and the virtual raises questions about what it means to be human in an age of rapid technological change and the impact this may have on our society.
What form will AI's manifestation of the will to power impulse take?
Will it be bound by moral values and rules akin to humans?
Will they create their own artistic universes in order to explore their own depths?
What will these worlds look like?