Murmuration

Murmuration

Generative a/v installation, 2023
Video and sound generated in real time;

Max/MSP/Jitter, Mac mini, USB-MIDI, Yamaha TX7 FM synthesizer, short throw projector, speakers, chicken wire mesh (40x40x90cm), English edition of "Pale Fire" by Vladimir Nabokov.

Concept, Engineer: Sergey Komarov

Produced in collaboration with and with the support of CYLAND MediaArtLab


One of the hypotheses of what gossip is is the preparation of birds for migration, the training of young animals and the purification of interaction within the flock. Another meaning of the word "gossip" is the noise formed by the chatter of the crowd. An interesting fact is that, while they murmur, the birds emit hums, as if they were in a trance or chatting.

In this work, the cloud of murmuring dots-birds represents the migratory wave that occurred in 2022. It is about a flock of temporarily settled people who have found a place under the roof, but who dream of everything going back to the way it was before . They are circling, preparing to settle or move to another location.

Within this set, each point pulls on its own connections. The migration process implies the provision of relatives and friends, the new organization of work and domestic processes, the transfer of pets and things that are dear to one another.

The algorithm to simulate a flock of birds is associated with something like this: a synthesizer that accompanies you on a migration. The movement of the flock creates a meditative soundtrack. At the same time, the old synthesizer periodically chokes on the data stream, leaving indistinct noise.

Vladimir Nabokov's book "Pale Fire" is placed under one of the speakers. The extract from it was used in the movie "Blade Runner 2049" as proof of the mental stability of a replicant. Turns out it's in tune with this piece of art

- Have you ever been arrested? cells.
- Did you spend a lot of time in the cell? cells.
- Have you ever been in an institution? cells.
- They keep you in a cell? cells.
- When you're not doing your homework, do they keep you in a box? cells. interconnected.
- What does it feel like to hold the hand of a loved one? intertwined.
- Do they teach you to feel finger to finger? intertwined.
- Do you long to have your heart intertwined? intertwined.
- Do you dream of being interconnected?
- Have they left you a place to dream? intertwined.
- How is having your child in your arms? intertwined.
- How is playing with your dog? intertwined.
- Do you feel like a part of you is missing? Interrelated.
- Do you like to connect to things? Interrelated.
- What happens when that link is broken? Interrelated.
- Have they let you feel the heartbreak? intertwined.
- Did you buy a gift for the person you love? Inside interconnected cells.
- Why don't you say it three times? Inside intertwined cells. Inside intertwined cells. Inside intertwined cells.

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