Performance Fingerprints…

is the working title of an ongoing major collaboration with visual artist and software engineer Steve Meyfroidt.

Steve guides his custom-built software to engage with the sound and sight of performing musicians; opening a mutually improvised conversation between music, movement and visuals that creates unique ‘performance fingerprint’ digital artworks.

We’ve teamed up with key musicians to investigate how the software interprets the tonal and sonic properties of a representative range of acoustic instruments; violin, percussion, flute and trombone. We’re also working closely with a choreographer to examine and expand on the very specific gestures that naturally occur in the performance of each of these instruments, and improvisation plays a crucial role in the reciprocal nature of the dialogue – as the software interprets the music and movement, the musician in turn responds to the unfolding drawing.

Take a look at this clip taken from our June ‘25 sessions in Cork. It’s work-in-progress but you’ll get a sense - four musicians free-improvising while digital artwork blooms and forms in response, with Steve in the background guiding the software from his laptop.

In this shorter clip the musicians and software are communicating via both sound and movement thanks to both a static camera and a separate microphone input. The quality of the video isn’t great, but it does get up close to the screen, showing some of the artwork in more detail.

Performance installations, interactive concerts, multi-sensory events and exhibition of digital artworks are just some of the many possible outcomes we’re exploring.

Supported by the National Lottery through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.