Ludger Brümmer, Yasha Jain: Agents, 2021

The audiovisual installation Agents shows a plethora of different digital creatures. These creatures are controlled by several algorithms, which record their own data via Kinect cameras and microphones – almost like the eyes and ears of organic creatures. This data is used to determine the position of visitors entering the habitat. If a visitor approaches a creature, it reacts with one of several simple behaviors: it might grow, retreat, or generate more little creatures. Ongoing interactions among the individual creatures and with visitors make these simple behaviors seem extremely complex. The creatures also utter unique sounds, which move around depending on where in the room visitors are thanks to an 8-channel loudspeaker system.

Interactive installation, depth cameras, speakers, micro- phone, computer, software: Unity, Zirkonium

Videotracking: Bernd Lintermann
Stereophony control software Zirkonium: Dan Wilcox
Production: ZKM | Hertz-Lab

Video documentary: © ZKM | Video Studio, 2022
Camera: Xenia Leidig, Peter Müller, Christina Zartmann
Editing: Lisa Michel, Christina Zartmann