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Alcho

By Annie Abrahams

In Alcho Annie Abrahams asks: Is it possible to create an algorithm that includes human behaviour, that evolves over time and in the process integrates aspects of the personalities of all the participating individuals? Because there are humans involved Annie thinks the project will probably turn out to be an erratic, iterative, evolving, experiential happening. She is interested in the written traces; in the written instruction sets, as markers of the evolving Alcho processed through humans by writing and performing.

All images & text under Free Art License (FAL)

Alcho

An online experiment of Performing Alchoritms / Performing Processes using algorithms 1

Invitation: Please read the Alchoritm and make an appointment with someone on https://meet.jit.si/PerformingAlchoritms. Send this person the meta-instructions. Follow the Alchoritm as best you can. Don’t discuss it, just go ahead with what you understand.

Annie afterwards: It seems as if such a performance can keep its essence, at least during 5 iterations. I love the way the performance instruction sets evolve and show how differently you can write down instruction sets. It makes me long for a longer series.

Alchoritm

Variables:

  • meta-instructions
  • performance instructions (never to be talked about)
  • internet connexion
  • webcam

Meta-instructions:

  • Connect to the meeting at the right time.
  • Watch the performance attentively and leave the meeting immediately afterwards (don't discuss intentions).
    • Discover/determine what is essential for you in what you saw
  • Write the performance down as an instruction set
    • A translation of [what you saw] to [what to do, so others can experience something similar through a new iteration of the performance]
    • Keep in mind this is not about being precise, but about intentionality.
  • Send an email invitation plus the meta-instructions to another person and ask him/her to join the project at a time set by you.

Before the set time:

  • Re-read attentively the performance instructions you wrote yourself.
    • Discover what you think is essential in this instruction set.

At the set time:

  • Connect to the meeting.
  • Ask the person you invited if she is ready to watch your performance. Perform the instruction set.
    • Be very clear about when you start.
    • Follow the instructions and pay attention to what you think is essential.* Keep in mind this is not about being precise, but about intentionality.
    • Be very clear about when you end the performance.
  • Leave the meeting without discussing.
  • Send the instruction set you wrote to Annie Abrahams bram.org@gmail.com.

Possible performance instructions for a first iteration:

  • watch the other person attentively for around 30 sec.
  • slowly bring your hand to your webcam
  • caress the webcam (watch the image you produce, try to give this
    quality)
  • slowly bring back your hand, quickly caress your face
  • watch the other person attentively for around 30 sec.

Needs: an alarm

  • watch the other person attentively for around 30 s
  • set an alarm for 5 minutes and show this.
  • close your eyes
  • open your eyes when the alarm goes
  • watch the other person attentively for around 30 s

Before: choose a short sound or video you want to share

  • watch the other person attentively for around 30 sec.
    • If video: screenshare the video.
    • If audio: cut your videostream and ask the other to listen to the audio (URL in chat space)
  • listen or watch yourself too

When finished

  • watch the other person attentively for around 30 sec.

Alcho Beta test v1

February--March 2021

Initiated by Annie Abrahams

Participants: An Mertens, Ils Huygens, Adva Zakai, RYBN.ORG, Karen Dermineur and Dominique Albouy

Performance instructions set 1
(executed twice by Annie → a and b series)

Sit back and stare at the person for a few secs
Then slowly get closer to the webcam until you touch it with your face
Continue caressing the webcam with your face
After 1 min. your hands take over, first from very close, they caress,
they rub, they dance
Return slowly to the original position
And say goodbye

Series a

Performance instruction set 2a

Sit still at approx. 1 m from the screen
Look straight at the camera for a few seconds
Move your body very slowly towards the camera, while keeping your face central
Caress the camera gently with your face
Move back a few centimetres so there is a little space
In this space, cover your face with both hands as close as possible to the camera
Caress the screen with hands over your face
Interlace the fingers of both hands while still holding them over your face
Continue caressing the camera with interlaced hands
Point your interlaced fingers slowly towards the camera
Rub your hands while slowly moving your face back
Continue rubbing your hands while moving your body back into your seat
When fully seated, move your hands towards your heart
Hold your hands in a prayer position before your heart
move your hands next to your body
Look straight at the camera
Smile
Say goodbye

Performance instructions set 3a

Sit in front of the computer camera
Look at the person in front of you on the screen
Bring your face as close as possible to the camera.
Think of the person in front of you on the screen while you do it
Tell yourself at heart: I wish this person could feel that they are entering my body through my skin
Move your face slowly, try to show the camera every little detail of your face
Stay close enough to the camera to feel the warmth emanating from the working computer
Let this warmth influence the quality of your movement
Keep this quality throughout the rest of the performance
Lift both your elbows in front of your face, pointing towards the camera
Slide your hands up through the torso until they cover your face
Let your hands touch each other
Slowly distance yourself from the camera, while covering your face with your hands
Sit back in a straight position
Slide your hands down your face and let them come together in front of your heart, palms touching
Look at the person in front of you on the screen
Smile
Wave goodbye

Series b

Performance instructions set 2b

Sit at a distance
Watch the screen with a friendly look
Come closer to the screen
Show your nose, eyes, ears, skin in close-up
Show your hands in close-up
Rub your hands and fingers
Move back to the chair
Smile at the camera

Performance instructions set 3b

La position initiale c'est être assez loin de la caméra pour être vu de plain pied, faire face à la caméra.

Annoncer que la performance a commencé;

  1. prendre un temps pour soi sans bouger et se concentrer sur ce qui va arriver
  2. se lever doucement et se rapprocher, en regardant fixement un coin de l'écran, attentivement,
  3. rapprocher tout doucement son oeil de la caméra, le rapprocher au point que la camera filme l'oeil en gros plan, puis au point de le faire disparaître.
  4. faire glisser la camera (en se déplacant soi-même) doucement sur la peau du visage, pendant un temps
  5. approcher la main, recouvrir la caméra de la main et cacher son visage de la caméra derrière sa main, filmer la main, toujours en gros plan, pendant un temps.
  6. faire venir la deuxième main et former une grille en entrelaçant les doigts devant la caméra, comme pour attraper la camera (ou l'image) avec ses mains.
  7. une fois l'image attrapée dans les mains, faire mine de la caresser, envoyer l'image au creux de ses mains, longtemps.
  8. interstices, écarter les doigts, multiplier les plans, montrer la paume en arrière plan à travers les doigts, faire apparaître des bouts de mains
  9. joindre les doigts, les frotter, caresser ses mains
  10. s'éloigner de la camera, s'asseoir, retourner à la place initiale.

Performance instructions set 3c

Tu es là, debout devant moi, à quelques pas de moi. Tu me regardes. Fixement. Mais je ne peux lire sur ton visage aucune expression particulière. Tu me regardes, c'est tout. Et puis tu t'avances vers moi, doucement. Tu te rapproches tout près de moi, jusqu'à ce que je ne vois plus que ton œil, ton œil droit. Ton œil en gros plan me regarde, puis se cherche dans cet espace réduit. Puis se ferme. Et ensuite, c'est la peau. Ta peau en gros plan, tes mains, je peux même lire tes lignes de la main. Tes doigts se froissent, se frottent, se mélangent, en macro. C'est flou et c'est rose, c'est doux et c'est chaud. Puis l'étreinte se termine. Tu es seule, face à moi, tu me regardes fixement, et toujours en silence, tu recules doucement jusqu'à ta place initiale. Fin.

Performance instructions set 3d

La personne est debout face à moi/caméra à quelques mètres

Elle s'approche doucement à pas réguliers, jusqu'à venir devant l'objectif, regarde à droite et à gauche comme pour vérifier si on la regardait, puis fixe son oeil gauche sur l'objectif, comme pour voir à travers, puis ferme les yeux.

je ne vois plus que du blanc, c'est curieux je ne comprends pas tout de suite, mais ensuite je vois ses mains qui se frottent l'une à l'autre puis s'éloignent de l'objectif. Peut être une caresse à un animal ? dans tous les cas c'est bienveillant

Elle reprend sa position debout, puis recule à pas lents comme elle était venue.

  1. Alcho ( online v1 beta ) is a project by Annie Abrahams. It is a follow-up to Testing Performing Processes using Algorithms / Performing Secret Alchoritms performed by RYBN and Annie Abrahams during the Alchorisma worksession organized by Constant and Z33 in Dec. 2018 in Hasselt. More info: Secret Alcho Performing. ↩