//dreamlands\\ — testu collective

//Dreamlands\\ | installation and performance | Ideal Glass, NYC | 2018

In the installation //Dreamlands\\, TESTU transformed Ideal Glass's 5,000 sq. ft. W. 8th street venue into an environment for audiences to navigate and experience multi sensory performances. Architectural elements were used as elastic screens for sculptural projections by artist Toru Izumida. A human scale polarizing filter commonly used in aerospace, engineering, and optics created a screen where two performers Yoko Murakami and Maki Kitahara scraped, stretched, and modified plastic films revealing birefringent bursts of color. Azumi O E’s audio reactive performance used live recordings from contact mics placed in her mouth to generate live video projection that highlighted her movements. Lastly Second Skin, a live performance of "human projection mapping" where two dancers, Maki Kitahara and Yoko Murakami manipulate textural video of chemical and magnetic reactions with their slowly fluctuating body movements.

Creative concept by Testu Collective @testucollective

Movement by Yoko Murakami @yokoteki

Movement by Maki Kitahara @maki_k_01

Movement by Azumi OE @azumioooe

Live Audiovisual set by Toru Izumida @toruizumida

Sound by Serena Stucke @serenastucke

Visuals by Dan Tesene @dantesene

“Second Skin” is a multi-sensory performances which utilizes an elastic screen as an active element, this membrane is stretched into another dimension by two dancers Maki Kitahara and Yoko Murakami. Their choreographed movements terraform the surface into dynamic terrains, an interpretation of “projection mapping” but with the human form. The videos for “Second Skin” present macro-views of chemical and magnetic reactions. Sonically, the “Second Skin” experience is grounded in custom-made soundtracks. Its hypnotic pulses, glimpses of field recordings and futuristic feeling integrate and enhance the performance.⁣

Testu Collective's performance “Birefringe” utilized two vertical screens made of polarizing filters, commonly used in optics and aerospace industries. The performance evolved in real-time as Kitahara and Murakami slowly stretched and tore layers of plastic film, revealing colorful trails which trace their movements. As the performance progressed the entire screen came to life with refracted light patterns from the performers' stress on the materials. Custom set design my Dan Tesene. Soundtrack created by Serena Stucke⁣

Japanese experimental performance artist Azumi O E presented her latest audio-body experience. Azumi's choreographed, convulsive movements were recorded live by a series of contact mics in her mouth and on her body. This audio input was fed into TouchDesigner modulating video to create visual projection space for her movement.⁣

Japanese electronic composer and visual artist Toru Izumida presented his latest live A/V set. The programed visuals have many layers that react to live sounds. His visuals were projected onto a spandex screen made of protruding objects, created by Testu Collective, which enhanced the visual experience.⁣

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