Rhythm of Shapes

In 1977, Iannis Xenakis (1922-2001), a greek composer and architect, developed the »UPIC« (Unité Polyagogique Informatique CEMAMu) system. The system generates electronic sound according to graphical scores, drawn on the dedicated tablet. Similar to the »UPIC« system, this installation »Rhythm of Shapes« sonificates images but it employs photos as graphical scores instead of hand-drawn sketches. Every five minutes the installation automatically takes a photo and extracts the contours or the shapes in the photo. Then, the system interprets these shapes as a musical notation and generates polyphonic and dynamic rhythm patterns, employing multiple geometric cursors of different size and speed.