–Still in progress of updating this. Links & pictures to follow shortly. 5.2.11
Collaborative:
Madagascar Institute presents: Maker Faire New York! – (New York Hall of Science, Queens, NY, September 2010) An all out presentation of our carnival rides: Jet Ponies (a pulse-jet engine power merry-go-round), Voodoo Lily (formerly The Wheel, an eight unicycle power carousel, in when pedaling speed controls the playback speed of music, and flame cannon patterns), the 360-degree Swing (a 2-person swing the spins 360-degrees, leaving someone about to be upside-down, upside-down, or just having been upside-down); as well as hosting Chariot Races in which people built their own chariots, and raced around the rocket-ship cul-de-sac at the New York Hall of Science (the location of Maker Faire). Full of theatrics, sabotage, and an all out free-for-all. Chariots included Swimming Cities’ pantoon boat modified to be driven by a motorcycle from the back, Das Kraken – a giant squid chariot, Jet Chariot – a pulse-jet engine powered hot rod, and others.
Madagascar Institute invents The Wheel / Voodoo Lily – (Presented at Maker Faire: San Mateo, CA, May 2010; Detroit, MI, July 2010; Queens, NY, September 2010) An eight unicycle power carousel, in when pedaling speed controls the playback speed of music and flame cannon patterns.
Madagascar Institute presents: Jet Ponies – (Presented at Gadgetoff: Staten Island, NY, October 2009, Burning Man Decompression: Brooklyn, NY, November 2009, Maker Faire New York: Queens, NY, September 2010) A jet-engine powered merry go round. A ride for 2 people, sat upon Future Pony and Wild West Pony, two horses, who in the future (as will happen to all horses) chose to get cut in half and get strapped to a jet-engine rather than forever have to work kids birthday parties, or get turned into cat food. Once the riders gain momentum, the seats, suspended from a T-arm, start going out horizontally. The jet-engines are propane powered, and very, very loud.
Madagascar Institute presents Everything Was Better in the Past (why not go back there?) – (Gowanus, Brooklyn, NY, May 2009), Everything was better in the past: the parties where better, the scene more underground, you were better looking. So, why not build a time machine and go back to those glory days? This event was Madagascar Institute’s 10th year anniversary block party. The day began in Prospect Park, in Brooklyn, with the recreation of the naval battle between the Dutch and the British on the day that the British fought off the Dutch for control of New Amsterdam. It turned into a Busby Berkeley dance off on paddle boats. The next location was the site of the block party perpendicular to the Gowanus Canal, complete with our carnival rides, a sound stage, barbeque. By the bank of the Canal sat the Time Machine. At the end of the evening, before casting off back into the past, a 300 pound jazz singer was to sing the national anthem in order to crown the occasion. She was across the canal. The platform she was standing on wasn’t the sturdiest thing, and eventually it broke. Luckily for her, she was tied to a zipline. Unluckily for all of us, she went straight through the Time Machine, smashing it to bits.
PyroStomp (LEMUR) – (Presented at Virgin Mobile Music Festival, Baltimore, MD, 2008) A huge, multi-person sized floor step sequencer tied to 8 flame cannons.
Mixed Media
One Eye – A combination of words and music make up this audio story, set in a future world of sorts, about a journey through the unknown.
Music
Performance
Wonderland – Opera by Camila Cano based on Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. I co-wrote the libretto. Video to be linked to soon.
Physical Computing
Pat Metheny’s Orchestrion Control Interface – Designed the midi back end interfacing foot pedals and Ableton Live using Max/MSP to provide control over an orchestra of musical robots.
Electric Bop It – A game of reflexes and memory. It shocks the player once a mistake is made.
Loopda – Hardware/Software combination for a looping musical instrument.
Writing
The Shaman
Dream Sequence