We had a talented visitor at Khoj Studios today - Sammy Chien, a Vancouver based experimental filmmaker, electroacoustic composer and media artist. He has recently begun experimenting with the interspersing of Analog and Digital film techniques - creating a powerful juxtaposition between the stunning feel of celluloid and the malleability of digital formats.Acting as a bridge between past and present - his latest film, Oceanic explores the terrain of memory, individual quest for belonging and the playing out of remembrance rituals. The use of mix formats is useful in communicating some of the debates that surround rapidly developing film technology. Sammy believes that the answer lies in instilling sensory elements in media projects by blending old and new methods thereby, generating a layered visual language.
He has also carried out exciting collaborative projects through the use of real-time programming environments like Isadora. While performance artists and VJs are mostly familiar with programmes like Isadora, there are a lot of us who are yet unaware of the possibilities of such hyper-interactive media initiatives. This programme was initially created to facilitate the media intensive dance practice of Troika Ranch, a performance company managed by Mark Coniglio and Dawn Stoppiello. It is at the frontier of merging dance and technology through the generation of interdisciplinary performances and workshops.
Real time manipulation enables body movement to inform the visual canvas. Light and sound become sensory devices that alter the image; constantly connecting mental consciousness and body language with computer generated output.
Sammy Chien's Website: http://www.soar.is2.net
Troika Ranch Website: http://www.troikaranch.org/index.html
