MODINA hosts workshop in Budapest
From March 25th to 27th, the Interactive Technologies Institute, a partner in the MODINA consortium, launched a transformative workshop in Budapest. Led by researchers Diogo Cabral and David dos Santos, the workshop focused on mentoring the “Collective Cadence” artistic project by Simona Deaconescu and Grigore Burloiu.
“Collective Cadence” delves into the intricate dynamics of mass dances, individual expression, and control systems, with a keen emphasis on the role of rhythm in evoking collective emotions. By integrating disciplines such as history, anthropology, ethnomusicology, and artificial intelligence (AI), the project aims to unravel how rhythmic performances influence societal responses. Through a lecture performance mediated by AI, Grigore and Simona explore rhythms of contagion, trance, decisiveness, and ecstasy, fostering interactive engagement with the audience.
The workshop occurred at the Trafó House of Contemporary Arts, symbolising a significant milestone in exploring technology’s intersection with dance and audience interaction. This collaborative endeavour underscores MODINA’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of contemporary dance performances through the innovative integration of digital technology.
Reflecting on the workshop, Diogo Cabral, the MODINA Principal Investigator at the Interactive Technologies Institute, expressed enthusiasm for the project’s potential impact: “The ‘Collective Cadence’ workshop exemplifies MODINA’s commitment to exploring new frontiers in dance and technology. In their work, Simona and Grigore harness AI models to generate sounds and information that inform the exploration of the concept of mass dances to interact with the audience during their performance.”
About MODINA
MODINA, an acronym for Movement, Digital Intelligence, and Interactive Audience, is a pioneering project to revolutionise contemporary dance performances by harnessing cutting-edge artificial intelligence techniques. Supported by the Creative Europe program of the European Union, MODINA unites academic institutions and dance centres from six countries, fostering innovation and creativity in both the performing arts and academic research in interactive technologies.
