virtualab

is a series of experimental learning spaces. Work is conducted via telepresence and other networked environments with a primary focus of collaborating over distance. Students work in tandem with professors and professional artists to explore the intersection of art and technology; they develop work with collaborators in remote locations and conduct exploratory experiments in hopes of overcoming many of the limitations commonly associated with traditional space.

Past Virtualab Exchanges:

12.14.10 / Interactive Performance Workshop / The Happening 

The Happening is the final project of the SeoulArts Interactive Performance Workshop. 4th year students explore the future, mass media and dictatorship in this multi-location sci-fi musical. The work was shown as an informal work-in-progress on December 14th 2010. 

Summer 2010 / John Jesurun / Acting Workshop

Using telepresence technology as a vehicle for this international exchange, experimental theater director, writer, and designer, John Jesurun taught a two session acting workshop for students at the Seoul Institute of the Arts in Korea. Daniel Allen Nelson, actor, director and designer, as well as Billy Clark, International Program Director of Culturehub, assisted John here in Culturehub’s lab at La MaMa. John created unusual live video environments for the actors to be immersed in. After the actors engaged in improvised scenes within these unpredictable circumstances, both John and Daniel offered their thoughts and responded to questions from the workshop participants. The interaction left each side feeling inspired; full of new ideas and fresh concepts.

Spring 2010 / Fusion Music / Rabbi D and Farbeon 

Rabbi Darkside and Farbeon instructed two classes on hip-hop history, beat boxing and DJ’ing. The Culturehub telepresence system was used to facilitate the exchanges over distance. In the third session Rabbi and Farbeon rehearsed with the SeoulArts' fusion music students and performed in a final showing before a live audience in Korea.