About STEAMRAVE
At Brown-RISD STEAM, I was fortunate to explore and contribute to the STEAMRAVE project. To clarify, the goal of STEAMRAVE wasn’t to create a traditional "rave" but rather to craft an interdisciplinary exploration of interactive art experiences. It aimed to connect artists and audiences through video projections, sensor-based activities, and other interactive spatial programs.
As a core member of the project, I organized artist calls, designed the exhibition and programs, and assisted with microcontroller work.
Key Question:
How can interactive art experiences dissolve the boundaries between audience and artists to create a shared sense of transformation?
The Team
Zev Izenberg
Mariel Rosic
Avantika Velho
Dave (🙋🏻)
Daniel Tompkins
Elyson Park
Graphic Design
Mara Jovanovic
Mellissa Wang
AV
The Project
Over 500 visitors experienced STEAMRAVE in just 9 hours. The numbers grew each of the 3 evenings from word-of-mouth recommendations, starting with around 75 visitors the first evening, until many were willing to wait in long lines to enter the space that held only 40. Visitors experienced the video art, personal narratives, and visual experiments designed by thirteen students artists from Brown University and the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). Visitors became part of the art as they interacted with sensors throughout the space.
The AV team created a MaxMSP platform to do video sensor interactions with stimulating visual effects, and "VJ" the event by continuously changing which screens showed which videos. The Design Team designed and built the set, then filled it with Cyberjunk sculpture installations.
As a member of the design and AV team, I played a key role in addressing the challenges of recruiting artists and creatives from Brown and RISD while developing solutions to adapt to the constraints of our exhibition venue. This involved designing and implementing robust exhibition plans that guided the user journey through the space, ensuring an engaging and cohesive experience.
On the AV side, I collaborated closely with the AV lead, Daniel, who developed a network of Arduino microcontrollers to control parameters in Max in real time. These microcontrollers collected sensor data from various interfaces in the space and wirelessly transmitted it via a 2.4 GHz radio frequency to a master Arduino in the tech booth. This data was then converted into MIDI control messages, enabling seamless communication with Max software patches to dynamically adjust video effects such as saturation, crossfades, and other visual elements based on audience interactions.
We launched STEAMRAVE in October 2019 and brought it to fruition within just five months. I am grateful to the directors and the entire STEAM team for making this transformative experience possible.
Additionally, I want to thank Alexander Dupuis, Ambika Miglani, Arayla Bakhetbek, Cece Jane, Colin Kent-Daggett, Jacob Zimmerman, Justin Ortiz, Kaanchi Chopra, Katia Rozenberg, Machu Muci, Muskaan Garg, Natalya Ho, and Nina Yuchi for their work and collaboration in curating this remarkable project.