Telematic Performance and Remote Creative Expression

As part of their response to COVID-19 pandemic, some performance makers have innovated new methods of creating digital theatre. Telematic performances allow them to work without physical buildings and costly rehearsals – an invaluable advantage during times of scarce resources.

Ximena Alarcon is a sound artist who specialises in telematic sonic improvisation for migration purposes. She’s particularly drawn to exploring “in-between” spaces of sound.

Aesthetics

Aesthetics is the study of our reactions to natural objects which express themselves through aesthetic judgments such as beauty and ugly. Aesthetics has a wider scope than philosophy of art which only addresses works of art themselves.

Early philosophical aesthetics was predominated by beauty; however, since 1950 or so this interest has broadened considerably with philosophers taking an increased interest in other pure aesthetic concepts like sublime.

Telematic performance involves exploring how performers create an illusion of shared space through remote performances, like dancers using video conference systems to perform together on stage. Engaging these technologies for this kind of artistic challenge is fascinating and fulfilling!

Although most of the issues raised about the aesthetics of telematic performance involve its technology, discussion also explores whether telematic performance should be treated as art. This may involve asking whether performances qualify as artworks and how their meaning impacts audiences as well as taking into account how its process influences final products.

As Telematic Art becomes more widely utilized, issues related to it will likely become a focal point of debate. Therefore, it is necessary for us to gain an understanding of telematic performance before debating its related problems.

Telematic performance can be considered an extension of theatrical tradition; at other times, it offers an innovative approach to theatre-making and other performances. Furthermore, telematic performances can serve as a powerful means to address social and political issues; an example would be Marta Stenevi’s recent “Tradgardsgatan” performance by Swedish artist Marta Stenevi which addressed injustice caused by socioeconomic divisions in Sweden as an answer to Helsingborgs Dagblad newspaper’s call for artists to address society’s problems through their art – in this instance performed across locations nationwide with collaborators at different locations throughout.

Technology

Telematic performance, as a new medium, is rapidly altering how we experience theatre. Furthermore, its advent has altered how technology such as cinema, television and digital communications technologies interact. For instance, now audiences can share performances simultaneously regardless of their physical locations and this modifies our understanding of space, distance and presence.

Telematic performances present many technological challenges for performers. Actors must adapt their practices so that they work synchronously with participants at a distance, often by reconfiguring relationships between actors and screen or creating more intimate connections between audience and performance. Furthermore, making sure the technology used provides high-quality audio and video can prove daunting to performers who may not have used these tools before.

One actor in Tradgardsgatan initially hesitated to use Zoom video conference software due to fear that she would be seen by the audience on screen, but eventually came around and found it an invaluable way to focus on acting rather than home environment rehearsing; rehearsal at home proved too challenging in terms of finding appropriate tone of voice and remembering lines as internet speeds often caused screen freezing during rehearsals.

Telematic performances present another difficulty due to the screen being an abstract entity which may be perceived differently by each audience member, especially when using mobile devices to access it – for instance, smartphone screens will provide very different aesthetic experiences than large flat-screen televisions.

Telematic music is an exciting new form of musical collaboration that allows musicians to come together remotely and perform live without being in the same physical location. It provides people with a means of expression and connecting with people all around the globe while offering many advantages over more traditional forms of performance music. Telematic music has quickly become one of the fastest growing performances, becoming more and more popular each year as more performers take advantage of this form of musical performance.

Audiences

Two theatre productions were developed using Zoom videoconferencing software to create two productions. While the digital medium allows for new forms of interaction between actors and audiences, as well as challenging the traditional approaches to theatrical practices being undertaken, its implementation changes aesthetic experience significantly – particularly how an audience experiences a performance.

Tradgardsgatan was the first of these two productions and used pandemic as its inspiration. The performance examined how social structures within communities can create inequities among groups by offering access to different services – leading to inequality between them and ultimately leading to individual reflection on this performance by its actors.

Zoom software was used strategically in I ett falt av guld, showing different stories taking place daily in various spaces and time periods of everyday life. It allowed for more realistic performances that connected more with audiences more authentically than previous. Since these performances took place at private homes, actors had to adjust to performing for cameras versus in front of an audience, helping them accept and comprehend this digital medium more readily.

Studies of live theatre performances and online performances have demonstrated the significance of audience movement as an influencer on engagement during telematic performances. People who move less are generally more immersed and connected; moving can disrupt shared spaces and physical connections while impacting quality audio-visual streams.

As a response to Swedish government restrictions on public events, an opportunity presented itself to create a second telematic theatre production using Zoom technology that reflected on current society by co-using live audience with those watching remotely. Three generations of women met over Zoom to respond to personal news and discuss family matters while performing. Furthermore, performers addressed injustices within society as well as issues regarding family dynamics.

Collaboration

Collective idea creation has always been at the core of creative and commercial progress. Today’s communication technologies facilitate these collaborations across space and time; their success depends upon the degree of co-presence present when these interactions take place.

Because technology allows for new kinds of creativity, new forms of artistic exploration must also arise to make optimal use of this medium. Telematic performance involves artists collaborating remotely from various places at once – producing an artistic output which can be experienced differently depending on which screen it’s viewed on by audiences.

Roundabout Theatre Company and Carnegie Hall’s artistic team recently learned through two telematic theatre productions that the way an artwork is presented on screens (such as smartphones, tablets, computers or TVs ) influences audience members differently and that aesthetic experience of an artwork strongly correlates to how its delivery and distribution takes place.

Michael Gurevich, associate professor of performing arts technology, joins Michigan Minds to discuss his research into telematic performance and some of the experiments it has involved. Additionally, he shares why he and his colleagues decided not to conduct isolated laboratory research but rather experiment with live telematic performances at public workshops or events.