[ISEA2013] Panel: Troy Innocent & Benjamin Kolaitis — A talk about compositional gameplay and musical instrumentation

Panel Statement

Panel: The history of things to come

Play Parameters is an experimental sonic and performative excursion into the art of gameplay. In this imaginative and inventive arts project, Troy Innocent and Benjamin Kolaitis have designed an interactive installation that meshes visual and compositional gameplay elements with the structural elements of musical instrumentation. The concept was inspired by Moholy-Nagy’s Light-Space Modulator, Gysin and Burrough’s Dreamachine and 1970s analog generative art systems, with close inspection of the sonic components by expanding upon the early work of Reed Ghazala and David Tudor. Sonic Arts Union, 1970s artists Alvin Lucier and Gordon Mumma are also a point of reference, while Jon Rose and Alan Lamb have notably influenced the scope and direction of this project. Building on this rich history of experimental hybrid sonic and visual arts practice, this project aims to extend this practice, testing the boundaries and beyond with new performative possibilities afforded by DIY electronics and the increased literacy of audiences in gameplay. The outcome of the installation is an experimental game controller that may be used by other artists to build their own art games. It will also draw a context back to the early developments within this practice, creating an alternate platform for experimentation and interactive demonstrations.

  • Troy Innocent, Swinburne University of Technology, Australia troyinnocent.frb.io
  • Ben Kolaitis, Independent artist, Australia