Motion Activated is “Innovative and fun” (Chronicle Herald)
“Your mere presence changes the nature of the exhibit” (Halifax Weekend Herald)
“A one-of-a-kind interactive experience that pushes technological boundaries (The Coast)
Motion Activated is an interactive electro-acoustic installation and performance project, which speaks to relationships between the body, space and time. Created by established Nova Scotia artists, dancer Véronique Mackenzie, visual artist/animator Susan Tooke and audio-visual artist Lukas Pearse, this sensory excursion explores the intricacies of trained movement, the creation and execution of line, and the phenomenon of muscle memory.
The installation fuses two-dimensional images with three-dimensional movement so that a thread is established between live and captured motion. Interactive elements respond to the movement of the viewer’s own body, resulting in a delightful response by mere physical attendance and inadvertent engagement.
Sound plays an integral part of Motion Activated where Pearse uses MacKenzie’s movements and gestures to create a stochastic soundtrack for the piece. In two special live performances, Pearse’s design in audio- and time-based media interact with MacKenzie’s dance composition to create an interactive acoustic dialogue called “Data Duet”.