Digital Culture Speaker Series: Augmented Stage Design
Abstract
Digital artist and architect Chris Ziegler, assistant professor interactive media at Department of Arts, Media and Engineering will present theater projects he developed during COVID times 2020 in Germany and Austria. He also will talk about the shift of European theaters toward online technologies beyond streaming and Zoom calls.
His own work is deeply influenced by Robert Wilsons "Theater of Images" where the "ideal theatre would be a cross between radio play and silent movie". Augmented and virtual reality can trigger imaginative (non-physical) stage designs on stage and enhance participatory art forms where the performer is able to have a dialogue with the audience.
When traveling is difficult, telematic performances replace physical presence in performance plays. There was already a big shift into virtualization and digitization in the performing arts before COVID pushed further.
Chris Ziegler will talk about his recent productions at the University of Performing Arts in Graz, at the Neue Oper Wien, the New Opera in Vienna and his own theater production "ODO", designing a virtual actor using AI, which was developed 2019–20 at the Department of Arts, Media and Engineering.
Bio
Chris Ziegler is a director, digital artist and architect of numerous international interdisciplinary projects in dance, theater and new media arts. Currently he holds a position as assistant professor for interactive media at Arizona State University (ASU) where he is developing immersive environments for theater. Since the mid 90s he researches the impact and use of digital media onto the performing arts on stage. With choreographer Bill Forsythe of Frankfurt Ballett he developed a digital assistant for rehearsal and was a member of many dance research projects. In 2018 he was a member of the European Theater Lab, developing tools for site specific theater performances. Since he first received the "Young Art and New Media Award" of the City of Munich 2002, his productions have been performed and shown internationally.
He was also a nominee for the Monaco Digital Dance Forum Award 2006 and won several Design Awards, such as the New York I.D. Design Bronze and Silver Awards and others.
Before working at Arizona University he was lecturer and researcher at ZKM/Hochschule für Gestaltung Karlsruhe, SINLAB Lausanne, the Dance Apprentices Network across Europe D.A.N.C.E, the "Interface Cultures" program of Art University in Linz, La Salle University Singapore, School of Creative Media, City University of Hong Kong and other places.
Kayla Elizondo-Núñez
School of Arts, Media and Engineering
480-727-2849
kelizond@asu.edu