Kurt Hentschlager








	CLUSTER


CLUSTER © Kurt Hentschläger PHOTOS VIDEOS		CLUSTER, the next generation of Kurt Hentschläger's generative 3D and audio work, is moving the focus onto group behavior, -psychology and -interaction, particularly looking at swarm phenomena. A simple yet absurd setting is proposed - 3D human characters appear as a school of fish in otherwise impossible physical conditions. In the weightless choreography of CLUSTER, humans appear mostly as anonymous particles, as a pulsing, amorphous mass, a cloud of blurry matter from body parts and light. The work is visually fluctuating between realistic and abstract forms. By its generative nature never fully predictable, CLUSTER describes a meta-organism with decidedly anti-individualistic character. While the 3D characters are of human form, their behavior is not, thus preventing a natural bonding of the audience with their presumed alter egos. Computer physics render the nature and range of action, while the artist channels and orchestrates the ensuing forces. The work draws some of its ambiguity from both repetitive, rhythmical elements, as well as from “natural” improvised structures. The bulk of sounds in CLUSTER is rendered by the events driving the work - swarm motion and behavior and also changes in light. A rhythmical grid bonds the individual parts together, creating a pulsing impression. Sub bass “floor”- and high frequency “ceiling” drones frame the otherwise generatively rendered event driven sound. CLUSTER goes through several stages, starting out from an abstract primordial “soup”, building into a cloud of blurry semi realistic matter - body parts and light, to eventually arrive at a clearly humanoid cluster, packed tightly, spinning and tumbling through space, bodies glued together by gravity and kinetic forces. Individual efforts to escape the “cloud” are attempted but futile. CLUSTER was presented for the first time in Spring 2010 at Festival Nemo in Paris. The 3D version was created in November 2012 at EMPAC, Troy, New York. CLUSTER by Kurt Hentschläger Coproduction: Arcadi, France Additional production support and residency provided by EMPAC / Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the Jaffe Fund for Experimental Media and Performing Arts Audio Collaborator - Lauren Weinger Ogre/Bullet & Max Msp Programming - Rob Ramirez Ableton Live & Max for Live Programming - Ian Brill 3D Character Design - Chris Day Management and Representation: Epidemic / Richard Castelli