GAPP - gamified audiovisual performance and performance practice

Introduction Computer Games have become a fashionable area of research, which has been covered by many different fields of research in the humanities and in the arts. However, only to a comparatively small extent have computer game elements been explored in the realm of audiovisual composition and performance. This artistic research project starts out with the assumption that player interactions and game strategies offer yet unexplored models that can be applied in live audiovisual works. Game-interaction and the doubling of the player in the game in a virtual space offer a large potential to create a liveness quality of a novel kind. This does not only concern the performer who is interacting with a responsive audiovisual system but can also engage an audience as backseat-players. This artistic research project therefore sets out to explore the combination of game strategies and performer interactions for its artistic potential beyond the mere imitation of computer games. Goals The goal of the research is to develop a thorough understanding of the potential of game based elements in audiovisual works. This affect the work on several technical levels e.g. regarding the implementation of algorithms and the design of the interface but also raises questions regarding the perception: how do we create a balanced perception of events taking place on a stage area and simultaneously on a virtual screen? How can the performer act as a mediator and involve the audience in the performance as backseat-players? These questions have not, yet, been researched and they ask for an investigation from the point of view of artistic practice. Methodology The research will be carried out from two perspectives: 1) audiovisual composition and 2) performance studies. A large number of questions have been identified that will serve as a methodological framework and points of reflection and evaluation during the process. Altogether seven teams of artists will address the questions in their artistic research. The process will be cyclical and will include periodic evaluations and reflections. Having seven teams working at the same pools of questions will yield different artistic solutions which can then be compared with each other for better insights.

The aim of the research project "GAPPP - Gamified Audiovisual Performance and Performance Practice" was to gain a comprehensive understanding of the artistic potential of elements from computer games in the context of experimental audiovisual composition and performance practice. The starting point was the observation that in many artistic disciplines, engagement with aspects from computer game culture has been evident since the 1990s, while in music, comparable engagement has been marginal. An important motivation for the project was to close this gap. The underlying hypothesis was that game elements are not only relevant as an extra-musical reference for artistic use, but that they can produce qualities that expand the musical and audiovisual spectrum of expression in unique ways. The creation of new audiovisual works that specifically address and artistically implement questions posed by the project regarding the aesthetically relevant applications of elements from computer games was a key aspect of GAPPP's research design. In order to achieve a great diversity of artistic solutions, apart from the specially developed audiovisual compositions from project leader Marko Ciciliani, we commissioned various additional works from guest artists. The creation of all these different works and their performance were then investigated from three distinct perspectives, namely from the perspective of the creating artists/authors, the performing musicians, and the audience. These three perspectives were then compared to get a comprehensive understanding of how the realized works can be perceived, and how the integration of computer game elements plays out The following points have been achieved through the research project: 1) Almost 20 new audiovisual compositions were developed, which are characterized by special qualities due to the use of elements from computer games. 2) Through numerous presentations of the newly created works, they have had an impact on the artistic field - the use of elements from games is now much more present in the experimental music scene. This is not only due to this research project, however it did have an influence on this development. 3) In addition to analytically capturing various qualities inherent in these works, a precise understanding of the changed role of their performers* has been gained. 4) New scientific methods were developed, which were necessary to arrive at meaningful results in the field of investigation. 5) The research and findings of the project were published in 16 academic publications, and the project concluded with the publication of a comprehensive multimedia book entitled "Ludified", making both these findings and the artistic works on which they are based accessible. 6) numerous researchers were also involved as guests in the research project, which led to a reception of the research across the boundaries of various discourses, in particular also into ludomusicology and game-philosophy.