The showcase of “Dromos/Autos – The Autistic Ontology as Performance” by Matt Rogerson at the Ircam conference (19th to 22nd of March) presented itself as especially memorable as an instance where Electroencephalography (EEG) is not just used as a technological tool in an attempt to free the hands of musicians, but instead directly linked to the story it helps to tell. In short: It was interesting from a narrative perspective.
Acting as both the performer and researcher, Matt Rogerson aimed to invoke sensory overload in a generative performance ecology by way of biofeedback to bring about empathy towards the lived autistic experience in daily life. By integrating sound technology and visuals into a piece of performance art, the artist acts as a “mediative human interface”, invoking a sense of depersonalisation with the symptom of delayed reactions. The idea is to be as passive a subject to the ongoing processes as possible instead of trying to assert agency over them.
The significant aspect during the performance, confirmed later by the discussion of it, was that the titular theme and technology used were enough to create a narrative for what was going on stage – the further explanation was insightful and interesting, but I feel like I still would have walked out of just the performance with a sense of having gained insights and perspective, and this is what good storytelling does for me. Within this framework, there was still space for trial and error, as well as the surprising and unexpected, and the combination of research, preparation, and artistic execution was a sharp display of what Ircam is all about.
It’s hard to see the bigger picture with a brain that’s very detail-oriented.
Matt Rogerson during the discussion of the performance in Ircam’s Studio 5 on the 19th of March
In terms of sound design, the sounds that occurred within the generative framework were researched and adjusted to specifically induce sensory overload for the artist to help facilitate a feedback loop to enhance the performance, but what they also did alongside the visuals was to create an experience for the listener that is somewhat synchronised to that of the performer, albeit on a different scale. It created an atmosphere where the performer and attendee endured the experience together in a way, with the audience realising that acoustic ecology might not be the same for everyone. The takeaway here is that a good mixture of research, planning, considering the audience while keeping the main goal in mind and a transparent execution of the project can go a long way in creating a narrative experience. That being said, the realisation after the performance was once again that when designing the sound of the world we live in, it is essential to consider accessibility and find solutions that work for, and not against all kinds of people.
On another note – the performer made sure to warn visitors about strobe lights that would be part of the performance in a way that went beyond mentioning it as a rushed sidenote. This consideration towards the safety and individual circumstances of everyone in the room was a thoughtful reminder that it is okay and important to integrate obvious disclaimers as part of a designed experience for others to ensure a smooth and safe event for everyone who attends.