Science Gallery Celebrates Origin 150th Anniversary
( Evolvaphone )
Location: Science Gallery
( TCD Pearse St )
Audience: Public
Date: Opens 24th Nov 2009
Contact: http://www.sciencegallery.com/evolvaphone
Evolvaphone
http://www.sciencegallery.com/evolvaphone
Ladies and Gentlemen from throughout the animal kingdom,
Introducing the Evolvaphone!
The one and only booth that generates a musical composition from your identity in accordance with the laws of natural selection!
Opening on November 24th, 2009 at Science Gallery, Trinity College Dublin
This exotic booth, in all its Victorian comfort and splendour, invites you to sample the delights of the dangerous machine hidden within. A machine which can work procreative musical miracles from the few simple ingredients you are kindly asked to provide:
your voice
&
your initials
Yes, ladies and gentlemen. Once you have entered this extraordinary booth, simply state your name into a mouthpiece and type your initials into the system using a state of the art telegraph key, and you're away on a sonic journey of evolutionary proportions!!! This information will generate a musical composition using morse code rhythms based on your initials and the natural inflections of your voice, all strictly in compliance with the laws of natural selection.
But not only will you hear this composition, you will also be able to feel and watch it unravel around you. A unique vibrating display - the Mendelian Recombinator - makes seeds erupt with each reproductive thrust of the music. Vibrating speakers within the seats bring the booth to life!
Humble composer George Higgs has been working on the algorithm day and night under the strict and uncompromising eye of Dr. Aoife Mclysaght, a leading geneticist in Trinity College Dublin.
The aims of the project are laughably immodest:
1) to enable the creation of a unique musical composition for each individual or couple who enter the booth
2) based on their voices and initials
3) in strict conformity with the laws of natural selection, as envisaged exactly 150 years ago today by Mr. Charles Robert Darwin
4) and lastly get this, ladies and gentlemen, the composer claims that he wants his generative algorithm to sound good.
From November 24th come judge for yourself!
The Evolvaphone is supported by the Wellcome Trust.