DISTANTIA AV

DISTANTIA is a multimedia audiovisual project about the mediated nature of observation blending satellite imagery, virtual spaces and deep immersive soundscapes enriched by AI generated sounds. These elements are weaved together, creating a collection of landscapes viewed from the distant perspective of SENTINEL-2 satellite, processed, analyzed and returned in various types of visualizations, from vast virtual scenarios to distrupted and fragmented pointclouds, inviting viewers into a complex scenario where perception is blurred by the overlap between reality and representation. A digital sound symphony acting as the voice of urgent messages harmonized with the visual presentation, meticulously designed to convey a sense of urgency, echoing the complexities and nuances that evade mere visual representation. The auditory layer complements the visual narrative, offering a multilayered exploration that prompts introspection into the role of technology by using transfigured field recording as well as sounds coming from custom AI models, trained on personal datasets. When experienced in a concert-like setting, DISTANTIA becomes a live performance based on a strong iand cinematic-like dialogue between visual storytelling and auditory elements where the audience is immersed in the evolving narrative enveloped by rich timbral gradients, transformed orchestral sound masses and deep pulsating infrasonic bass sounds. In essence, DISTANTIA encapsulates an intricate interplay between form, structure, sound, and visual representation, offering a multifaceted exploration of the mediated nature of observation and the role of technology in shaping our perception of the world. Whether encountered in an installation, concert, or through individual exploration of screen based art pieces, it always invites audiences to reconsider their place in the ever-evolving landscape of mediated observation.

“Human beings in the hyperconnected condition of our globalized world are constantly exposed to inhuman forms of complexity, manifested through the computational mediation of enormous amounts and types of data. Yet none of the dozens of senses, internal and external, with which our bodies are equipped, have any sensitivity to these amounts and types of data, and least of all to computation.
We find ourselves in the systematic condition of being unable to experience the world, and unable to make sense out of it. Climate change, migration, people’s health, markets and other phenomena that result directly from the characteristics of the hyperconnected and globalized world depend on billions of interdependent variables and parameters, data and computation.”

Salvatore Iaconesi

PREMIERED
Romaeuropa Festival 2022

Franz Rosati

Art Direction, Sound, Visuals, Code, GIS

Mattia Magionami

Sound Design & Live Audio Assistant

Leonardo Foletto

Machine Learning Consultant

Enrico Maria Bersani

Unreal Engine Assistant

Daniele D’Intino

Unreal Engine Assistant

Year

2022

Type

audiovisual live set

Duration

00:45:00 svg

Audio format

2.2 – PCM 44.1/24 – 96/24

Video format

2160p @60FPS

ph. Jamila Campagna – IL MURO
ph. Jamila Campagna – IL MURO
ph. Jamila Campagna – IL MURO