Virtual Genius Loci Talisman 004: Movement Temple
Virtual talisman · AI video · Nightlife ritual
A video and sound work transforming collective movement from YOLOROBICS into a virtual talisman.
Online video · 6:00
I made Movement Temple from anonymized recordings of YOLOROBICS. Pose data extracted from the dancers drives a generated moving mass of limbs within a virtual temple. I composed the music and sound. Venus and Cybele appear as intercessors in this talisman for relating to the spirit of a nightlife space.
At these closed queer gatherings, we explored Butoh together: embodying a grasshopper, a stone, or time, finding synchrony with music through fog. Secrecy and inscrutability are part of the practice. Recording raised questions about what could be shared while keeping identities and the gathering's opacity intact. The extracted poses and amalgamated limbs become a shared dancefloor body.
The source gatherings included different DJs and dancers, including me. For this work I made new visuals, music and sound.
Installation
Two video channels meet on separate surfaces: a background rear-projected onto a taut white sheet, and a body and limbs projection from above onto suspended sheer fabric about six feet in front. An overhead fan responds to the video soundtrack, moving the fabric more as the sound grows louder. Seen from the audience, the body projection overlays the temple background on a separate, moving surface.
Installation schematic (SVG).
Contribution
Jove Spucchi: creator; music and sound composition.
Collaborators
Cornelius O: participant.
Supporting material
YOLOROBICS provided the anonymized ritual dance recordings used for this work. The 2024 portfolio account describes extracting OpenPose data for each dancer, combining it, and using it to drive the generated moving mass of limbs.