We invite viewers into a shared WebXR world: a fluctuating forest generated from real biometeorological data. Interactions with the trees in this playful world will generate different musical tones, holding space for the possibility of making extemporaneous distributed choral work which is unique to the collective decisions of all participants. A holon, from the Greek holos ‘whole’ and -on ‘part’, is defined as being simultaneously both a whole in and of itself, as well as part of a larger whole. In our real worlds, socially distanced due to the pandemic, we hope to provide a sense of collectivity and shared space in the virtual environment. Please note: Holonic Chorus is available for viewing through WebXR enabled browsers such as Microsoft Edge and through other browsers with WebXR extension installed. Special thanks: Biometeorological data shared generously through project Foresta-Inclusive by Jane Tingley. Foresta-Inclusive is funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada as well as the “Environments of Change” Partnership Grant. Thanks also to the School of Art, Media, Performance and Design at York University, Toronto, ON. CA.

A bike ride through Toronto’s waterfront was filmed with a 360 camera, then depth maps were extracted from the footage and transformed into a sequence of brushstrokes in 3D space by a machine learning system.

Earth’s biosphere is an endless cross-species collaboration: fluid, multiple, and ever-shifting. It seems that a new picture of embodiment is emerging, percolating into contemporary conceptions of our bodies and their boundaries. It is difficult to continue to conceive of ourselves as discrete organisms knowing that most of the cells that comprise our body are not human but belong to other species, and that these internal ecologies are constantly evolving through environmental influence. It seems we need to look no farther than ourselves to find interspecies collaboration. As these microbiomes are no longer invisible to us, we are realizing just how permeable the boundaries are and shifting our understanding to the realization that there is no ‘away’ and no ‘other’; every being is interconnected. From the micro to the macro, we contain and are part of worlds within worlds. This project challenges our perception of the exterior and interior, self and other, and encourages new conceptions of vibrantly alive and endlessly permuting ecologies to permeate our imaginations.

Electroacoustic improvisation with the Moog Subharmonicon analog synth. sigv.js, a system developed by Gordon for live performance with code and electronics, is used for the sound visualizer.

Our project will be a music video for a song called “We are making a better world”, the song is an original piece composed by Chibuzor Igwilo and it briefly discusses how although as a race we are often torn between one another and often hurt one another, we are striving to stop history from repeating itself and we as a civilization are aiming for a better world. The accompanying video will represent these ideas through visual representations created and orchestrated by the group. 3D models from other artist were sourced from online and include: “Heart” by Phenopeia and “Hand(low poly)” by scribbletoad.

We made a video with the Max8 on the theme of life and the ocean. We simulated the deep sea in real life to show the audience what the world is like in the deep sea. In the music, the sea creatures dance. In this, we use floating light, a song from the East, to reflect the soft beauty. Let the audience can feel the value of life, and reflect that every life has its own value.

metaAccess, is an audio-visual composition representing a speculative future centered around a digitally inclusive and accessible metaverse. Isolation is a ubiquitous issue in today’s society, heightened in recent years due to COVID-19. Since the metaverse is an increasingly popularized notion already implemented in the entertainment industry, our project aims to artistically imagine a digital world that highlights the topic of isolation and digital accessibility. This is because in a modern world that values rapid technological innovation, it is more often the case that those in control are designing these systems to best serve the typical, able-bodied user. As a result, many communities with diverse needs are left feeling isolated and disconnected from new digital platforms. It is only by creating a ‘multimodal metaverse’ designed for a range of different users that we can truly form an inclusive digital community