Awards
Mutek SF electronic music Festival: Golem Specialty Cut (2020)
ADC Germany: Bronze Award for Art Design in Virtual Reality for Golem (2020)
CommAward Germany: Awarded Silver for innovation in Arts and Tech for Golem (2019)
Project Info
Golem
A contemporary dance performance radicalizing the human body in the virtual world. This international and interdisciplinary research project explores the dancing body through technologies including motion-capture technology, VR, and digital avatars to wield a narrative between man and machine. The work seeks to question the human body’s engagement, sensorial response, and viewership in the fields of virtual design and dance.
Golem pioneers using motion capture technology to stage a dance live onstage and in VR viewable from anywhere globally. The performance features the Optitrack motion-capture system with VR headsets used in performance and in the audience.
In the performance, a single dancer wears a motion capture suit and interacts with a live rendering of her body as an avatar in VR. Projecting the virtual environment onstage, the supporting dancers navigate this bi-world journey, grounding the physical body. The choreographic experience amplifies the technical output, bridging the virtual and physical world of Golem for the audience.
The spatial design of the audience inspires viewership between the live performance and VR version. Headsets are placed around the room with the virtual environment and dancers live-streamed alongside the physical theater. Audience members switch between viewing modes during the performance.
In Golem, the live body dances alongside its virtual double, mirroring movements and inviting scenes where the avatar dances differently from the live performance. The design of each avatar embodies the emotional resonance present in the live dancer, shifting states to emulate the narrative journey.
Creative Team
Direction + Choreography
Carly Lave
Performers:
Cheng-Jung Tsai, Melissa Ferrari, Janan Laubscher, John Sydner
Concept + Experience Design
Carly Lave, gamelab.berlin & University of Applied Sciences
Kaiserslautern | Virtual DesignStorytelling:
Carly Lave, Tom Lilge, Prof. Christian Schmachtenberg
Sound Design:
Arushi Jain (OSE) / GHUNGRHU
Creative Direction VR:
Prof. Matthias Pfaff
Choreographic Contributions:
Melissa Ferrari, Janan Laubscher, John Snyder, Cheng-Jung Tsai, Jenna Wilson
Technical Team
Technology
Prof. Matthias Pfaff, Till Rheinländer
VR-Development:
University of Applied Sciences Kaiserslautern | Virtual Design
Programming:
Till Rheinländer
Motion Capture:
Michael Wetzelt, Hauke Wiemer, Rebecca Mertlich
Virtual Design:
Till Rheinländer, Jessica Avarello, Alina Braun, Chi-My Bui, Sabrina Elzer, Vanessa Henke, Martin Eisel-Ende, Meike Michel, Joëlle Asuka Schmidt, Virginia Scholz, Melissa Yau
Press and Management:
Vanja Prokic
Film Production:
Willow Hamilton / Indexthumb
Brand Design:
Willow Hamilton / Indexthumb
Institutional Partners:
Fulbright Kommission Deutschland, Stanford University, gamelab.berlin of Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Virtual Design Kaiserslautern Hochschule University of Applied Sciences, GHUNRHU Sounds
Premiered:
July 25, 26, 27 2019
Location:
Uferstudios, Berlin, Germany
Press
Mutek SF (2020) Golem Live Stream
Drees, Ursula (2020) GOLEM eine Virtuelle Schnittstelle des Performativen Tanzes, PlusInsight
Kamphausen, Julian (2019) Republica Digital Technology Festival, Berlin
Bell, Janina (2019) Dance and Technology, Brandenburg Technical University Press
Avatars Used in Performance
Artistic Significance
Golem was my first foray into virtual design and motion capture technology. Golem brought out my inner designer as I designed virtual environments based on the narration. Our team sought to envision new methodologies of using motion-capture technology and virtual reality in a live performance space.
During the development process, I grew curious about bodily and sensorial feedback while observing myself dance virtually. I found that choreographic possibilities both expanded and were made limited while working with motion capture technology. Potentials in using virtual renders of my dancing body enabled me to choreograph multiple virtual bodies (avatars) and develop new movement routes in space.
