We commence our first episode in the series with Beyond Black, a compelling examination of blending Artificial Intelligence algorithms by Madi, Korea’s first dancing AI, invented by media art group Slitscope, with the movement of 8 dancers, choreographed by Shin Changho.
The choreographer, explores the possibility of Artificial Intelligence (AI) choreography based on the assumption that “if AI continues to evolve and develop, it will be able to create art, which is considered as special and exclusive to our own human realm.” The work presents creative expressions of surreal possibilities.
Madi, created by media art group Slitscope, is Korea's first dancing AI. It means literally a ‘joint' (called 'madi' in Korean), a point at which bones meet and a 'connection' between humans and AI. The movements of 8 dancers are turned into data and 'Madi' learns the data for its choreography. The dancers are filmed against a chroma-key background and their movements are extracted and added to the programme. The data that is added is simplified into dots and lines through coding. The choreography by 'Madi' is embodied by the bodies of the dancers and the audience can see the reality of 'dancing AI' as the video is projected on to LED panels.
Shin Changho is known for his evocative productions that are full of powerful energy and his experimental work that oscillates between the present and the future. In Man-Made, for which he collaborated with the National Dance Company of Korea in 2018, he experimented with combining technology and dance using Virtual Reality. He later staged the work IT dealing with the theme of AI for the 40th Seoul Dance Festival. His new work Beyond Black is the result of his continued exploration of technology and the future.
In 1999 when he was a student at the School of Dance of Korea National University of Arts, Shin was selected as a member of the Transitions Dance Company of the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in UK. He was one of the founding members of the LDP Dance Company (founded in 2001) and served as the representative of LDP for 6 years from 2009. He also worked as a regular member of the Dance Company Theater St. Gallen in Switzerland from 2005 to 2006.
Shin, who has extensive experience of working for national and international dance troupes, has made a splendid contribution with his works invited for presentation in several countries abroad. His signature works No Comment and Platform were invited to Austria and included within the repertoires of The Ballet Company of TLT Innsbruck. This was the first instance that works by a Korean choreographer were included in a European professional ballet company as fixed repertoires. From 2012 to 2017, he was also invited as a guest choreographer for this dance company.
His major choreographic works include No Comment, Parallel Life, Long Slow Distance, It's My Life, Platform, Eye-to-Eye Contact, Not only has he been actively engaged in choreographic activities, but Shin has served as a Professor of the Department of Dance Performance, School of Dance at Korea National University of Arts since 2013, to nurture new dancers with support and advice in the education field.
SLITSCOPE's work ranges from a discussion about virtual and the real as well as to a contemplation of the relationship between Artificial Intelligence (AI) and humans. The SLITSCOPE team developed Madi, a dancing AI, with the ability to choreograph for Beyond Black.
This AI developed by SLITSCOPE has no knowledge of the principles of dance or of movement or nuances of emotion. It only observes continuous movements to produce similar outcomes based on accumulated data. Audiences are invited to see the 'phenomena lacking meaning' that this virtual artist presents. Recently, SLITSCOPE's research case was chosen for the support project by the Korea Foundation for the Advancement of Science and Creativity and was introduced at the exhibition titled (dis) Appearition (7 February - 1 March, 2020, Post Territory Ujeongguk). Through Beyond Black, SLITSCOPE questions if the audience can discover the soul of AI while watching the performance.
Credits:
Production Distribution: Korea National Contemporary Dance Company
Year of Production: 2020
Choreography: Shin Changho
Film Director: Kang Seungpyo
Creative Advisor: Lee Yongwoo
Lighting Design: Kong Younwha
Stage Design: Lee Taeyang
Media Art: Kim Jaemin
Music: Jang Jiho
Costume Design: Choi Insook
AI Development: SLITSCOPE (Kim Jaemin, Kim Keunhyoung)
Dancers: Kim Yeona, Kim Junki, Park Jihee, Jang Solyn, Choi Yewon, Choi Jeonghong, Han Daegyo, Ham Heewon, Jung Dayeon (Madi’s voice)
Pictures Inc.: Haemil Pictures Inc.
Established in 2010, the Korea National Contemporary Dance Company (KNCDC) is Korea's only national contemporary dance company. Through dance created in collaboration with artists with exceptional creative capacities, KNCDC aspires to create Korean contemporary dance which tells stories of history, society and daily lives of contemporaneity that can be appreciated across regions and by all generations.
As an organization that specializes in the creation of new productions, KNCDC seeks to realise diverse contemporary values in dance performances. KNCDC commissions productions by inviting choreographers with authentic artistic directions and by selecting the most suitable dancers for each project. Furthermore, by protecting the rights of the artists, KNCDC enables artists to freely express individuality within the dance company’s stable system.
KNCDC continues to work to provide the best environment for dance where the artists and audience can grow together. And as a platform where artists and audiences meet, the company hopes to form a healthy ecosystem where diverse values can coexist. KNCDC plans to enrich the lives of citizens through their experiences with dance at close proximity, in their day-to-day life.
Attakkalari Centre for Movement Arts, Bengaluru, is India’s premier contemporary dance organization working in the realm of education, training, research, choreography, productions, performances, festivals, and stage technologies. Invested in inclusive and ecologically conscious dance practices, holistic education, collaborations, and transdisciplinary exchanges, Attakkalari has developed strategic partnerships with educational institutions, arts organizations as well as entities working for social justice in India and internationally. This apart, Attakkalari produces the Attakkalari India Biennale – South Asia’s biggest festival on contemporary arts whose next edition is programmed for 2021-22. Transmedia Technologies is the tech production vertical for Attakkalari – this is the only instance for an Indian cultural organization to have its own tech division that provides production support to the organization’s consolidated initiatives.