.. explored how to challenge the stigma surrounding drug use through an immersive audiovisual experience with his project Breaking the Stigma

.. explores how theater or music performances can be enriched with music and images created based on sensor data from the performance venue and audience interaction.

Breaking the Stigma

Stigma discourages help-seeking and creates social barriers such as discrimination in the job market, housing problems or limited access to educational opportunities, hindering full participation in society. Moreover, stigma dehumanizes and marginalizes people who use drugs, preventing them from being seen as complex people with their own stories, struggles and aspirations. Stigma is challenged by creating an audiovisual experience that depicts the personal story of a person struggling with substance abuse and the profound challenges he faces, including the pervasive stigma that surrounds his journey. Overall, the goal of this project is to foster a more open discussion about stigma and encourage empathy, understanding and open-mindedness.

SNAPSHOT

A research project in collaboration with the Robot Theater Lab, SNAPSHOT explores how theater or music performances can be enriched with music and images created based on sensor data from the performance venue and audience interaction. Specifically, the project aims to capture characteristics of any environment and represent them in the form of visual and sonic landscapes, creating a unique SNAPSHOT with which the public can interact. Features could include textures and colors in images of the environment, depth information from LIDAR sensors or room acoustics.

For example, you could use methods such as sonifying images by mapping pixel attributes such as brightness or position to musical parameters such as MIDI data; or using Fast Fourier Transform to transform images from the spatial domain to the frequency domain and use the frequencies in the image for sound design or to create visual patterns.

Research includes exploring what features can be used, what methods can be used to translate them into sounds and images, and how an audience can interact with them in a meaningful way. The research process itself involves gathering first impressions by reviewing existing literature, visiting exhibitions and interviewing experts from the Twente region, as well as creating initial prototypes in TouchDesigner and MAX/MSP.

About the artist:
Nils Rublein is a researcher in robotics and an audiovisual artist based in Enschede. His artistic endeavors focus on the intersection between technology, media and human interaction, exploring new ways to create musical and visual experiences.