Boletus
Boletus is a multi-user interactive musical installation with projected visuals, embodying an experience designed to nurture the value of co-creation. Hosted in a dimmed room, this installation consists of instruments in the shape of colossal mushrooms that welcome users to press/tap/turn/play. Each mushroom instrument generates their own unique melodic beats and projection, urges users to collaborate while creating their own music experience.
The main technical components that make our project happens include: Arduino, Sonic Pi, Processing, projection mapping with MadMapper. The main lighting and projection are driven by our unified color theme: amethyst purple, apricot, and turquoise. The sounds in this project simulate the therapeutic ambiance of a dark night in nature. All sounds are created with the possibility of harmony effortlessly due to any interval created by the collaboration between participants.
Created by Yanwen Dong, Rian Ishikawa, Feibi Zheng, Lillian Crandall, and Sky Ta.
Ideations:
Project Goals:
Must be playful and fun for the users and the makers;
It’s hoped to be enjoyed by general public from many ages;
Be as inclusive as possible with the amount of participants within the space given;
The audience should walk away feeling that they learned something—either about music or collaboration.
Must be visually and audibly entertaining.
This project is not meant to be interacted violently. Even though the presented objects suggest physical contact, vicious interactions may lead to disconnection of the technical component inside. Thus, this goes again our value of “co-creation.”
Some of the questions that we considered during the making are:
How would the sizing of the instruments affect how the audience interact with them?
How would the placement of the instruments affect how the audience stand?
Could we tackle other senses?
Could we link the online audience as well as the presented ones at the site?
Initial idea sketch
Mushroom’s design estimations
Planning the space
Mushroom’s anatomy design sketch.
Prototypes:
Collaboration is the key to our project and one of the rooted component within the driving force for Boletus. Throughout the making, one of the main keywords that our team reflect on in every single stage of the project is “co-creation.” After all, this is a team effort to make this installation happens. Our team worked hand in hand, aiding each other with multiple roles, from concept design to technical building. We help, teach, and learn from each other when we are making this project. Moreover, we wanted to include the audience as much as possible during these stages. We actively invited the audience to be involved in all the possible decisions that will help their experience, varying from the designing state, prototyping, to the final product. During our process, we continuously seek out feedback (from classmates, professors, strangers to our project, sculpting experts) and take them in consideration earnestly while making the project, whether it being the feels of materials, or comfort of sounds and interactions.
Material prototype and interaction prototype.
Making Mycelium mold (organic material).
Testing projection.
Space prototype: collaborated effort from a tester.
Making silicon mold.
Constructing the environment.
Exhibition Photos:
