M*SYNC at MPavilion

M*SYNC is a playful event-based investigation of natural synchronisation phenomena of all kinds, in collaboration with Jonnine Standish and Jessie French, supported by MPavilion.

For M*SYNC 2017, we premiered Hypnapod, a portable live multimedia artwork, animated by the heartbeats of audience members reclining in custom knitted pods suspended from the MPavilion structure.

We also featured a 'cardiophonic symphony', an evolving ritualistic soundscape created live by audience heartbeats and voices, and collaborative performances with Gail Priest and Tropic of Cancer and contemporary dancers Benjamin Hancock and Niharika Senapati.

M*SYNC 2016

The inaugural M*Sync was a full-moon party with live music, pulse-syncing moonbags and just a dash of shamanic magic, on the night of Sunday 24 January 2016.

We presented our first showing of Hypnapod, featuring 21 'moonbags' - large triangular silver beanbags fabricated from Tyvek - 9 of which contained pulse monitors linked to individual speakers using Arduino and Raspberry Pi technology to produce an enttrainment-inducing polyrhythmic soundscape.

Audience members were guided into their moonbags by our trio of psychopompic moon goddesses Rebecca Horne, Benjamin Hancock and James Andrews.

Photos by John Betts.

Video by Jason James

Article in ID magazine

The premiere of Hypnapod has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body.

MPavilion is an event partner for M*Sync.

Our travel to M*Sync 2016 was assisted by the Australian Artists’ Grant, a NAVA initiative made possible through the generous sponsorship of Mrs Janet Holmes à Court and the support of the Visual Arts Board, Australia Council for the Arts.