Test/Break is a monthly prototyping series by Columbia DSL. Join us as we delve into an array of projects in different stages of development. Test/Break offers a platform for creatives to explore groundbreaking forms & functions of storytelling. We focus on projects that push the boundaries of narrative possibilities, leveraging emerging tech like AI, AR, VR, & IoT as well as web-pervasive technologies. It's a unique opportunity for virtual creators, fostering collaboration & experimenting with participatory methods of interaction. After each prototyping session, we open the floor for engaging conversations that unveil the secrets of creative practice. Don't miss out on this exciting journey of innovation & storytelling!
A bit more about the projects being prototyped & the people behind them...
Project #1
Become part of "Messages from Home," a live, interactive experience that merges art, technology, & science to create a collective interstellar message. Inspired by the Voyager Golden Record & Carl Sagan's "Pale Blue Dot," this project uses speculative & discursive design to blend digital & analog storytelling. Participate in this unique journey to reflect on the unknowns of the universe & our own humanity, sparking discussions about our place on Earth. Join us in imagining how we might communicate across the cosmos & with each other.
Project #1 Team
Behrang Garakani is an Iranian-American technologist & media scholar who held engineering, creative, & leadership roles notably at Electronic Arts & The Walt Disney Company. He currently lives in New York City working at the Whitney Museum of American Art's Technology group & a professor in the School of the Arts at Columbia University this fall. He is a patented inventor of interactive media, & his critical artworks were recognized by the National Gallery of Art & The New York Times.
Natalia Espinoza, an Ecuadorian-American filmmaker & polyglot, moved to the U.S. to study Film & Psychology at Barnard College, later earning an M.A. in Film Studies from Columbia University. She uses filmmaking to bridge cultural divides & focuses on climate storytelling & documentary ethics. Espinoza, who works with the Marketing team at the Whitney Museum of American Art, is a board member of EcoMinga Foundation, Youth Council member of Reserva: The Youth Land Trust, & co-founder of EcoStudio Foundation, advocating for biodiversity conservation & climate change mitigation.
Project #2
The goal & theme of the experience I'm producing is an interactive diffusion video based audio reactive experience. The evolution of the video generation mechanic is dependant on a variety of inputs, including sound, text another effects.
The intent of this project is to determine if within the infinite complexities of the procedural evolution of video content from various sources, can some element of grounded be discovered that ties us to the original source material --- th original builders. Can we draw a map of our feature through a sea of algorithmic chaos?
Project #2 Team
Shafik Quoraishee is a Game Developer at the New York Times working at Wordle, Connections & the NYT Crosswords. An engineer of over 15+ years, he's worked for companies such as The NBA, Business Insider, Nickelodeon & the DoD.
He also have a research background in computer vision & stochastic signal processing & I have recently been applying this skillet to generative video applications & art projects.
