April 11- 13th
Transmedia Lab, rm ACW 103
York University
Opening celebration: April 11th 4-6pm
The works included in this exhibition are representative of students from across our program, Graduate and Undergraduate presented in a wide variety of mediums and formats. From games, web-based, to electronic, to mixed reality, the common thread to most of these works is the computational basis in their conceptualization and realization. Most of the works presented here use content that is generated in real-time using algorithms as their creative toolset. All of the works embody computational thinking and aesthetics in their execution that include systems-based methodologies, hybrid art, and interdisciplinary approaches to making art.
Digital Media is a joint program between Computational Arts (School of Arts, Media, Performance, and Design) and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (Lassonde School of Engineering) that mixes arts and media with engineering. In the program students use code and programming as tools for creative expression in forms such as immersive and 3D environments, interactive performance, data visualization, games and apps.
DATT 2010: Physical Computing I
Swamp Thing
Interactive Sculpture
Prachi Sadhwani, Tina Hokmi, Alexis Estropia
Swamp is a piece that is meant to pique viewers’ curiosity and test their ability to trust an unknown creature. Swamp is a creature from another planet that adores being enclosed in an environment of dirt, leaves, and moss. Interact with the creature by looking into the viewing tubes and reaching into its structure to feel it (watch Swamp’s vines get excited as you try to touch it). Swamp loves to be held, it’s how he gets his glow and it helps him breathe. And don’t worry, it doesn’t bite! It just loves interacting with humans!
THEM
Interactive Sculpture
Umar Nawaz and Tommy Billiger
Behold “THEM,” an enigmatic non-moving life form that has its origins shrouded in secrecy. Rumored to be an experiment from the clandestine Area 51 facility, THEM is a remarkable creature that has escaped into the wild, guided by its lead researchers who was determined to set it free. THEM is a sight to behold, covered in a thick coat of moss that gives it a mysterious, otherworldly appearance. Its fur is lush and vibrant, adding to its otherworldly allure. When exposed to light, THEM reacts in astonishing ways, emitting a series of mesmerizing sounds that are both haunting and captivating. Its sonic emissions are thought to be a form of communication, a means of expressing its emotions and connecting with its surroundings. As an escapee from a secretive government experiment, THEM has developed a unique relationship with its environment and other life forms. It is a master of adaptation, blending in with the natural world while still retaining its enigmatic essence. Observers are drawn to its mystical presence, pondering the secrets it holds and the mysteries it embodies. THEM serves as a reminder of the untamed wonders of the world and the potential consequences of unchecked scientific experimentation. Its interactions through light and sound leave us with more questions than answers, as we marvel at its existence and contemplate the unknown depths of its nature.
Jelly
Interactive Sculpture
Faiz Yessoufou, Luca Iamund
Jelly the jellyfish is our final project that we created. Jelly is a small rare animal that got captured from its home and was put in a smaller environment. Jelly reacts to movement since he is very scared of humans after what they did. The project contains two ultrasonic sensors, A servo motor and a few el wires. The servo and the wires are controlled by the ultrasonic sensors that pick up people’s movement when they are in range.
Butterflies – Morpho Helena Staudinger
Interactive Sculpture
Xinya(Lysia) Zhang & Xintong(Slyvia) Ling
In today’s fast-paced urban lifestyle, with the majority of people residing in modern cities and being occupied with school and work, it can be challenging to connect with nature. However, the Morpho Helena Staudinger butterfly, which inhabits tropical rainforests, stands out as a unique species. Often referred to as the “”messenger of spring”” due to their role in pollination, these butterflies in this project serve as a potential focal point for examining the intricate connections between nature and butterflies, as well as the interdependence between humans and the natural world in our project.
The project comprises two butterflies, each equipped with an IR sensor on their body that constantly emits signals. One of the butterflies remains stationary while the other is motor-controlled and can rotate in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions. When the dynamic butterfly aligns itself with the stationary one, it ceases its rotation, and both butterflies start flipping their wings at an increased pace. The static butterfly features blinking wings with neo-pixel for added visual effect during their interaction. Once the butterflies have completed their identification and interaction, the dynamic butterfly resumes its rotation. From the perspective of human beings, the two butterflies can be seen as distinct entities, each with its own autonomy, yet exhibiting a symbiotic relationship with each other.
DATT 2040: Math, Art, Code
Virtuoso
Game
Jamsine Ly
Leading into VIRTUOSO, I wanted to do something horror, specifically
something reminiscent of point-and-click horror flash games. Drawing from
recent ARG, analogue horror themes, VIRTUOSO was going to be a game
about passing people through a security check, where an unspecified
amount of these people would be masquerading as humans, and it was the
player’s responsibility to deny or pass these people.
Then, this idea morphed into the player being an museum curator instead,
examining artworks for their exhibition which may or may not be haunted.
It fell more inline with my interests, aesthetic-wise, and simplified some
game mechanics that would have been difficult in the previous idea (e.x:
what would the player need to do to discern a human from a fake one?
Check the validity of the passport? Compare previous ID photos?). The
museum idea narrowed the solution; you are a curator. You look at
artwork. The artwork might be haunted because the museum has ghosts.
So, the artwork should look funny.
Additionally, I drew from ghost hunting methods, such as the ovilus. The
ovilus contains a database of words which can answer questions utilizing
the temperature and magnetic fields spirits allegedly draw from.
Spherical
interactive generative art
Laura Logan
This project is an abstract art piece, consisting of mathematically generated rotating 3D shapes, bright colours and midi.
DATT 2050: Media Signal Processing
COSMOS
Jasmine Ly
COSMOS is an audiovisual piece that takes the audience into an endless void of stars that react to sound just as the sound reacts to the objects in space. The overall structure consists of three parts that are dedicated to a line in the haiku. Each part has its respective visual style.
DATT 2300: Game Development I
SideSplitters
Game
Brayden
SideSplitters The Video Game is the digital recreation/adaptation of a casual trading card game(TCG) made in class. One that set out to mix social party games with a lighter tone and more approachable environment. TCG’s are fairly daunting so the game tried to diminish that quality. The video game adapts the spirit of the TCG by adopting its turn-based combat while converting the comedic style to one more in line with the RPG medium. Poking fun at game concessions and traditions while providing a light hearted romp in a quirky world. The game is set to take place after the events of the original making it more of a sequel. Nebulous concepts like canonicity are highlighted in some of the absurd dialogue and the games almost tongue and cheek adherence to lore. Play through the chaotic sequel and bring peace to the land of SideSplit before the movie adaptation is released shortly and all your good will and effort is gone to waste. Feel free to email me to gush about my masterpiece and hire me…please hire me. I’ll do anything you need. I swear I’m a great writer, a modern tragedy guy, anything you name it.
Small Wars: The Game
Game
Gianluca Sabatini
Small Wars: The Game is a simple platform game created in the Pico-8 game engine. You control a tiny red warrior, no taller than a flower, running through a level, avoiding bottomless pits and enemies. To start the game, you press the X key, spawning the player at the start of the level. You can move left and right with the arrow keys (as well as crawl by holding the down key while doing so), jump with the X key, and attack with your sword by holding the Z key.
There are three types of enemies in the game: slime-like creatures that move back and forth in a pre-determined area, and can be defeated with a sword attack, tall, indestructible lizard foes, who slowly move towards the player, and some pumpkin-esque enemies who stick around the bottom of the screen, routinely firing projectiles upwards. Any collision with the enemies will result in a game over, forcing the player to restart the game. Players clear the game by making contact with the seed located at the end of the level.
Upper Left Room
Game
Emily Terra
Uh-oh… someone ate all the food in the peaceful Upper Left Room. And someone has to venture into the outside world to find some more. (Both of those “”someone””s are you.) Explore the wide, beautiful, pixelated world as you discover the secret of the Energy Triangles that all creatures are made of.
The gameplay involves collecting Energy Triangles and then using them to change the form of your avatar. There are more than a dozen forms you can discover, and certain forms will allow you to get past different obstacles in the world. If you choose the wrong form, you can always go through a gate to go back a step and try again. You will find that this game is more about the journey than the destination.
This game was made using the Môsi game engine: zenzoa.itch.io/mosi
Thanks to avi, zak, keenan, and everyone else that helped me with playtesting, and to Dani, for being by my side the whole way through.
The Milky Way
Game
Faiz Yessoufou
The Milky Way is an exciting and engaging endless runner game that immerses players in an epic space adventure. The game features an immersive gameplay experience that puts players in control of a spaceship, challenging them to navigate through the endless expanse of space while avoiding a variety of obstacles and dangers.
The gameplay is fast-paced and highly addictive, keeping players on the edge of their seat as they try to outrun the dangers of space. The game features a variety of collectibles that players can collect as they progress through the levels, including rare rocks that can be studied in the future.
As players navigate through the game, they must use their skills and reflexes to avoid collisions with asteroids. With its engaging and challenging gameplay levels, It’s a must-play for fans of the endless runner genre. Whether you’re a casual gamer looking for a fun and exciting way to pass the time or a hardcore gamer looking for a challenging and immersive gaming experience, The Milky Way is sure to provide hours of entertainment and enjoyment. So why wait? Grab your spaceship and start exploring the endless expanse of space today!
Utopia
Game
Lilian Ilodigwe
Utopia is an unfair text-adventure, single-player prototype where the player navigates the wastelands of Bizet to find sanctuary after being thrown out. Contrary to the title, the game is harsh (to put it rather mildly), the environment harsher – and your character, and your “enemies”, are acutely aware of this. Within the levels of the Bizet wastes, there are gems hidden in the scrap – things that have one or multiple uses. Some things you might never come across and sorely wish you did, and some you would never want to find at all. It’s all trial and error, a discovery of what lies behind seemingly-endless dunes of sand, and of what is real and what isn’t. The story itself is structured, but due to the multiple paths and events, the player’s choices are their own – and that goes even more so for the consequences of their actions. Life out under the sun is hard, as you know, and there are multiple secrets to find – and many ways that you can end up alive and dead, to boot. But only the smart, strong – and the incredibly fortunate – might last long enough to get something you could call a reward.
Dash Tonight
Game
Christos Greer
Dash Tonight” is an infinite auto-runner themed around McDonalds. Play as Ronald and listen to a song from a classic ad as you run alongside a seemingly infinite McBurger establishment. Your energy will be depleting as you run, however, so you will need to make sure you collect enough burgers to prevent a total loss of energy. Collect enough fries to use your special ability which freezes your energy loss, allowing you to make it out of difficult situations.
My Chickens
Game
Anrey Dela Cruz
My Chickens! is a game that takes place in a small town inhabited by chicks and a Mother Hen. You play as a small chick named Jay where you normally live a very peaceful life where the Mother Hen usually provides the chicks in the town an abundance of food while you work and help each other out in the town. Unfortunately a small problem in the town has risen and the Mother Hen seems to be in trouble. Jay has gotten a bit curious of the situation and wants to investigate the situation. Explore the area, help your fellow chickens with their chores, and follow Jay in his tiny investigation to figure out what has happened in the town!
This game was inspired by my two chickens that I had last year. Sadly they were eaten by a raccoon that happened to break into their coop during reading week in the middle of the night. Though I was angry and sad about loosing the two chickens I cared for, I wanted to make the game about my story to commemorate them
DATT 2310: Game Development II
Chimera Combat
Game
Victor Pan, Riordan Palmer, Strahinja Bastovanovic, Estella Pham, Lin Guan, Chunxin Zhang
Be My Player 2
Game
Gong-Fan Bao, Timothy Lai, Deneisha Dennis, Maureen Navera, Zhuan (Warren) Wang, Justin Cuozzo
DATT 2500: Introduction to 3D Modelling
Bittersweet Memories
3D Model
Muniira Mohamoud
This project was an opportunity for me to challenge myself by practising my technical skills but also to be creative about the project’s concept. I feel that imagination and creativity is something that is my biggest strength and helps me in tough times. My scene depicts the child version of me and it is also meant to depict the excitement and joy of imagination that all kids at one time have had.
Blocked by Fear
3D Model
Braden Pereira
Blocked by Fear reflects my personal fear of the unknown and how it can hinder my path forward. The Wendigo represents all problems that block my path to discover the unknown, with the irony being it is only folklore and it is not a real creature. I often overthink when it comes to the unknown and I fixate on potential problems, yet in reality these problems blocking my path are just like the Wendigo; not real.
Naturally Fragile Person on the Edge
3D Model
Philip Michalowski
The project indirectly symbolises humans as a creature of resilience, bound to nature and sensitivity. The golden tail deeply stuck in the rock indicates success in endeavours while it also pierces through the chest showcasing hard efforts towards the goals. Chest and legs are covered in bark and moss which directly reflects our genesis and environment we live in as well as our curiosity about nature. Glass made body illustrates that as resilient as we are in our efforts to succeed, we also have sensitive and empathetic feelings towards other more important matters and people.
Late Nights
3D Model
Nicolas St-Amour
The goal was to take the theme of identity for this project and to try and create something that represented me and what I like and care about. The image is a representation of my desk late at night while working on a school assignment. I thought that would be a fun, almost meta, twist to the theme; representing myself in an assignment, while also working on an assignment.
Late Night Routines
3D Model
Andrew Santram
Presented here is a render that is designed to loosely reflect what I attribute with being a Media Arts Student. Late nights staring at a bright screen, my posture at the mercy of a poor sleep schedule, a Keurig to keep things going throughout the night. Each of these consequences being staples of a typical Media Arts experience.
Expansion
3D Model
Erica Wellman
Composed of a fried shrimp and a girl jumping out of a house that’s on top of a sheep, this piece shows how I like to go out of my comfort zone for things that I am passionate about. This piece uses a cartoon shader which makes the 3D models look like an illustration, adding to the theme of “identity” as I love to make illustrations.
Burden of Motivation
3D Model
Aric Ngoy
Motivation at its peak comes at an unforgiving cost. It may begin with excitement or enjoyment, but when boundaries are starting to become broken, a realization emerges. Overworked, unsatisfied, and restricted. All by choice.
Strive for Completion
3D Model
Minh Ryan Lam
For my concept render, I wanted to portray the idea of striving to be “complete” by showing an incomplete clay statue in the darkness reach out towards a brightly lit monitor displaying a more complete version of itself. I came up with this idea because I lost the detailed sculpt (shown on the monitor) of my Project 2 model due to a file corruption, so I was left with an undetailed and low-poly 3D model. I did my best to use this demerit to my advantage to create the concept of my render.
DATT 3300: Game Mechanics
Street Cleaner
Game
Laura Logan
As a discarded street cleaner, take revenge on those who threw you away and get to work one last time! Vacuum and sort all the trash in the area to send it back to the wasteful city that wronged you. Street Cleaner is a casual physics shooter where you find, collect, then sort garbage into their respective bins.
The Hooded Brothers
Game
Ashley Thong
A horror game that is centered around the player exploring and figuring out how to escape the city of Eusapia. The player must find a way to evade the hooded brother of the dead from catching them all the while finding objects to unlock the exit to their survival.
DATT 3700: Collaborative Project Development
Callback in Time
Mixed Reality Video Game
An Vu, Sarika Patel, Georgius Bryan Winata, Yuzhi Shen, Mengyao Fan, Xiaoling Yu, Shuchang Tu
Callback in Time is a first-person mixed reality puzzle game where the player must find clues to traverse different time eras. As the player interacts with the physical interfaces presented to them and uses their visual and auditory skills within the 3D environment, they discover numbers that they input to progress through the game. The game occurs in an office setting and reflects the technological, industrial, and societal changes throughout history.
Users progress through six levels representing a time era and progress in difficulty. Each level has a four-digit code the user must find within the environment. Users can interact with a lamp physical interface and a keypad physical interface as they play the game. The lamp turns on and off and triggers the light in the game also to do the same, possibly revealing digits to the users. Upon discovering the code, users can input it using the keypad to progress to the next level. The keypad is also used to reveal a to-do list that aids the user in finding the digits and hints if the user is struggling.”
DATT 3701: Collaborative Project Development in Games
EVE
Game
Zihan Cao (Poppy), Jiaji Lu-Narrative designer, Meijing Xie, Zihan Liu (Edison), Yudong Guo, Yuxing Liu
Eve was sent to prison on charges of murdering the Rat senator. Who was behind the muder? What’s the truth behind?
Help Eve get out of the jail before the date of execution. And try to restore the real story in the prison. Don’t miss any important information, and be careful not to get caught by the guards.
Lemon Journey
Game
Ruchuan Ji, Yuting Liu, Liang Mei, Jing Meng, Jingwei Wu, Yilin Ye
Join Mr. Lemon on an emotional journey like no other in this 2D puzzle-platformer game! In this game, you’ll play as Mr. Lemon, a lemon with three different emotions (serenity, rage and fear) that you’ll need to control and balance through each level.
DATT 4300:Game Development II
Tetricity Architect
Game
Murley Herrle-Fanning, Reyhan Ismail, Christian Pomponio, Maykel Faragalla
Tetricity Architect is a new take on the classic game Tetris. It takes the basic puzzle concept of Tetris and transforms it into a 3D parkour-style game. https://bageldogs.itch.io/tetricity-architect
DATT 4010/DIGM 5510: Physical Computing III
Light Agreement
Interactive artwork
An Vu, Joseph Lawlor
A Light Agreement is an interactive physical artwork that emphasises communication and achieving agreement between two individuals. The piece encourages individuals to engage in hand and arm movements to change the colour of the lights on the interface, visualising the search for agreement in a nonverbal way.
The interface comprises a motion sensor fitted onto the participant’s hands and two ringed lights situated within one another that are placed beneath the participant’s necks. As each user moves their hand and arm, their movements are mapped to specific colours that will reflect on the other user’s inner ring. Correspondingly, the mapping of colours based on the other user’s movements is shown on the other user’s outer ring. As the participants engage with this playful piece and discover the range of colours, they find that when the colours are matched on the inner and outer rings, a vibration motor is triggered that can be felt on their wrists. Users ultimately begin this quest of matching (or unmatching) with one another and playfully unfold how finding agreement can be an easy or challenging task.
Sharing Hearts
Interactive Sculpture
Kimberly Davis
This project is inspired by blood donation and blood transfusions. Participants can donate their “blood” (heart rate) to the installation by using an ECG monitor attached to an armband. The “blood” will be collected and then sent to hearts, which will light up and beat with the same heart rates as the people who donated. Eventually, the “blood” will run out, and the hearts will stop beating. To keep the hearts beating and the lights of the installation going, people have to keep donating. Blood transfusions are often used to treat many health conditions. Therefore, this installation is meant to show the importance of blood donation.
DATT3400: Creative Coding II
Music Visualiser
Thurston Tran
Thurston Tran’s music visualizer project is a dynamic and interactive exploration of sound and color. With draggable properties, users can adjust the RGB values of both the visualizers and particles to create a personalized experience. The project uses p5.js library for sound processing and visualization. Three different visualizers are available, each offering a unique perspective on the audio. The base circular waveform, secondary waveform, and polar rose waveform are all constructed with mathematical functions using the audio data to create different visual effects. The project also includes a text element with instructions for interaction and keyboard shortcuts for controlling the visualizers and playback. Overall, the project offers an immersive and creative approach to music visualization.
Rock Paper Scissor, ML5.js
Savia Nash
During weeks 9 and 10, I explored into the realm of machine learning and experimented with three different models.
To begin, I utilized Teachable Machines to develop a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors against an AI opponent that never loses due to its ability to rapidly calculate my hand movements. An attachment to the implementation is available: https://github.com/NsaveH/DATT3400/tree/main/rock-paper-scissors
Additionally, I explored ml5js and utilized hand gestures to create and manipulate particles for drawing images with my index finger. Furthermore, I incorporated additional functionalities, such as changing the particle color by placing my pinky and thumb together and erasing the drawing by creating a fist gesture. An attachment to the p5.js implementation is available here: https://editor.p5js.org/NsaveH/sketches/pJNQnDMqB
Machine learning experiments
Daniel Santos
https://github.com/000Dan00010/Experimentation_A03
The first experiement I conducted was the use of Teachable Machine to make it easier for someone to learn the ASL alphabet by uploading the individual sign of each letters hand sign. I came across this idea when I had found out that my significant other knew a few signs and I though it would be a good idea to learn some of it as well and to also help her to learn a few new signs. The system works by using your webcam I feel that this is a big step in the right direction to help better people tring to learn to sign.
My second experiment, using Runway I created 4 differnt AI generated images from a single fraze. I found it interesting how each image have some elements that are similar while most of the elemtants are different. For example the way the mountains are positioned and the stars/ships in the sky
Lastly, the final experiement I conducted was with sound and body movement using ml5. I used this program to create a piano like program that uses your bodys movement to change the keys that are played, while also allowing you to change the tone of the music played in the scoll down menu at the top of the page to the right of the start menu
The first experiement I conducted was the use of Teachable Machine to make it easier for someone to learn the ASL alphabet by uploading the individual sign of each letters hand sign. I came across this idea when I had found out that my significant other knew a few signs and I though it would be a good idea to learn some of it as well and to also help her to learn a few new signs. The system works by using your webcam I feel that this is a big step in the right direction to help better people tring to learn to sign.
My second experiment, using Runway I created 4 differnt AI generated images from a single fraze. I found it interesting how each image have some elements that are similar while most of the elemtants are different. For example the way the mountains are positioned and the stars/ships in the sky
Lastly, the final experiement I conducted was with sound and body movement using ml5. I used this program to create a piano like program that uses your bodys movement to change the keys that are played, while also allowing you to change the tone of the music played in the scoll down menu at the top of the page to the right of the start menu
EECS 4700: Digital Media Project
Motion in Harmony
Interactive Project
Amirsalar VL, Sina Karimi
An interactive project that provides a visual and auditory entertainment for the users through the projection of art, music, and other media. Users will be using body gestures tracked by Microsoft Kinect that’s sending the movement data directly into MAX patcher. They can take part in the projected audio-visual mode, or the game using nothing but their hand and knee gestures. All users, regardless of their familiarity and skills in the arts and music, will be able to experience this project’s core benefit—the realization that their own expression and movement are intrinsically linked to the work they undertake.
For inquiries regarding this initiative, please contact:
Mark-David Hosale, Ph.D. – mdhosale@yorku.ca
Associate Professor and Chair, Computational Arts
Digital Media Program
School of Art, Media, Performance and Design
York University, Toronto
4700 Keele Street .:. 228 Goldfarb Centre for Fine Arts .:. Toronto ON, M3J 1P3 Canada
http://computationalarts.ampd.yorku.ca/
