N/O/D/E APNOA & AV TORRES AFTERSHOW from Andrés Villa Torres on Vimeo.
ndr3s -v -t
algorithmic & computer arts
Live Coding Workshop at N/O/D/E Festival, Lausanne, 2016
Introduction for live coding with Supercollider, OSC and Processing

Breathing Rhizopus
breathing rhizopus growing over boiled rice trapped in a CD case exposed to a 5 minute interval shooting camera

Erosion
boiled rice
drying over a CD case
exposed to a 5 minute interval shooting camera
a burning light
DRYING_RICE from Andrés Villa Torres on Vimeo.

Algorave Japan Tour
Fukuoka – Osaka – Kyoto – Tokyo, Japan, October 2015
Organized by the awesome Renick Bell
Oct. 3, Fukuoka, at Black Out
Oct. 4, Osaka, at Environment 0g
Oct. 8, Kyoto, at Urban Guild
Oct. 10, Tokyo, at Soup
Performing with Supercollider, a Kaoss Pad and Visuals on the fly with Processing
Algorave Tour Japan 2015 from andres on Vimeo.

NarcissUs at ISMAR 2015
Fukuoka – Zürich, July – September 2015
Collaborators: Eugen Danzinger , Andres Villa Torres
“Destiny without necessity, freedom without memory, existence without choice, causality without destiny” – paraphrasing Deleuze.
The project NarcissUs is a critical and artistic approach towards the development of intelligent machines. The main goal is to unfold the potential and unexpected outcomes that the learning process from artificial beings in mixed reality environments may encounter. It consists on a feedback loop setup between a computer generated being (NarcissUs), a camera, a moving mirror, a face recognition algorithm and an evolving learning machine seeking for self awareness. NarcissUs seek for its reflection, learn from it and evolve through their expressive exchanges. Would IT be able to tell that the reflection is nothing else but itself?

ODD COUPLINGS
ODD COUPLINGS is a performance by the Hong Kong-based choreographer Chun-ho Ivanhoe Lam in collaboration with Swiss scenographer Barbra Pfyffer. It is the product of his three months residency with the City of Zurich Artist-in-Residence Programme, during which time he has built up relationships and collaborations with several artists.

Sensible Plants
Zürich 2015
Development & media art: Andres V. Torres
Sensible Plants are part of the work around the Sound Installation using Swept Frequency Capacitive Sensing for Arduino & Processing
The Installation runs at a Raspberry Pi 2 and the sound is generated with Supercollider.
Running with a Raspberry Pi 2

Warp Hole Sounds at International Conference on Live Coding 2015
Particle system simulating the behaviour of a blackhole. Each particle collision opens and closes a microphone. This generates an ongrowing and “controlled” audio-feedback saturation. It is possible to alter some variables which alter the behaviour of the gravitational field in real time. This has a direct impact in the audio-visual experience.

Real Time Drawing Tool for Polygonal Projection Mapping
Tool in development using processing and supercollider for polygon projection mapping: drawing and manipulation of single polygonal shapes with code on the fly.
It consists on a series of assignable free form polygons which can be generated and manipulated in real time with the mouse pointer and through OSC messages. This allows to access and change features independently such as fill color, line thickness, fill image, etc. Thus, each new polygon is a new node which can be modified and accessed independently through OSC messages allowing to generate tightness between audio-visual events for example.

Fragments of a Digital-Like Reality
Zürich – Mexico City – Oaxaca, Mexico, Winter 2014-2015
Audio Visual experiments with film, sound and computer manipulation.
During the winter 2014 – 2015 I‘ve got fascinated by patterns and the repetitive but decently unpredictable motion present within the material reality (nature) and its similarity to the digital and binary reality.
I used a camera to video capture a series of scenes which I found fitting in this description. Afterwards I used digital means in order to manipulate the image and the sound and unravel the intrinsic connexions between these two worlds.
On the memory stick you can find a longer version of the referenced video link, which is an ongoing work I just started.

Warp Hole Sounds
Zürich – Mexico City, February 2015
Download Processing & SC Sketch
“Warp Hole Sounds” is an algorithmic exploration and an audio visual experience of the non-trivial phenomena which in theory is possible inside these unseen and unexperienced corners of our universe. It pursuits a better and more embodied understanding of the behaviour of the physics inside or close to these bizarre spaces.
Through computer algorithms, I simulate strong gravitational fields which evolve in time by being nourished by particles (light, matter, energy). The illusive infinite freedom from algorithms allow to simulate and to tweak several conditions from these theoretical places, provoking behaviours that some times cannot be computed or previously estimated. A series of sonic and visual experiences arise from the never ending evolution of these wormholes.
Mathematical models from strong gravitational fields such as those describing black holes, worm holes and warp drive are used within this project in order to generate the algorithms which allow the computer simulations. From these simulations data such as the increasing mass of a black hole, the collisions between particles, or the moment of a particle crossing the event horizon, are collected and used in real time in order to generate or modulate sonic and visual representations.
The ultimate goal of the project is an audio visual installation / performance which will use elements from live coding in order to manipulate the generated data in real time.
Warp Hole Sounds from Andrés Villa Torres on Vimeo.

Forces of attraction
Studies of the behaviour from strong gravitational fields. Towards a visual / sonic understanding of black holes.
ATTRACTIVE_FORCES from Andrés Villa Torres on Vimeo.

Auditory Feedback Systems for Robotic Gait Trainer
Team:
Karmen Franinovic, Moritz Kemper, Simon Pfaff, Andres Villa Torres
This is a KTI founded project and a cooperation between ZHDK, ZHAW, NTB-Buchs and Ability Switzerland.
visit IAD website
The EFS Evaluation of Feedback-Systems in automated Gait Training Project is based on the previous KTI project A-Int (Activity boosting Interaction in Neurologic Gait Training). In the latter, we developed various interaction concepts that have the potential to significantly improve the effectiveness of gait rehabilitation. However, the patient’s responsiveness to a certain interactive feedback depends on the individual and the state of recovery. Thus, the goal of the EFS project is to develop evaluation systems for measuring the effect of developed sonic interaction techniques on the progress of walking rehabilitation, and thus improve those or develop new ones.
The project merges the following research areas:
• sonic interaction design for guiding movement
• evaluation of sonic feedback and motivational strategies
• motivational strategies for walking rehabilitation in stroke patients

Auditory Feedback Experiments
Zürich, 2012 – 2013
Diverse experimentation on motion-sound coupling for sensori-motor training.
download paper

Gait Training and Auditory Feedback
Zürich, 2012
Team: Karmen Franinovic, Jan Huggenberg, Andrés Villa Torres
CTI Project integrating four Institutes from three Academic Research Institutions and one ETH-Spinoff. The project investigates the interactions between man-machine in an automated gait training. The purpose of the IAD Team is to develop concepts for interactive feedback for the stroke patient focussing mainly on auditory feedback.

Follow or being followed
Zürich, 2011 – 2012
Master of Arts in Design
Field of Excellence Interaction
Multimodal installation for telepresent interaction and communication based on synchronisation from body movement.
How can a multi-sensorial communication link based on body movement synchronization be implemented through interactive technologies?
Communication based on meaning may delay the process of connection between hearing impaired and normal hearing people. The distortion of the content is implicit due to subjectivity of understanding while translating language. Lack of awareness and flow is observed in the social interactions happening between both groups.

Fliege
Zürich, 2013
Sound composition and design for the short film “Fliege”.
Project directed by Claudia Baena.

Live Coding Meetup
Zürich, October 2014
Series of meetups in Zürich dealing with live coding for computer generated sound and visuals
join the Zürcher Crew

Stardust
Zürich, September 2014
Live Coding Performance at Boschbar

Trilogie : Elektronische Musik
Baden, Switzerland, September 2014
Part of the computer music ensemble “Apocalympics”
visit web reference
Menschen treffen sich um gemeinsam Musik zu machen. Wie das im 21.Jahrhundert aussieht und funktioniert demonstriert das Dock18 Institut für Medienkulturen der Welt in Zusammenarbeit mit dem Royal Baden. In der TRILOGIE DER ELEKTRONISCHEN MUSIK werden drei ganz unterschiedliche Strategien elektronischer Musikproduktion vorgestellt und aufgeführt. Eingebettet ist die Umsetzung in den Kontext der grossen Themen der Menschheit: Urknall, Metamorphose und Apokalypse. Jeweils drei freie Musiker und Videogruppen komponieren die einzelnen Bereiche. Konzept: Wildprovider (Mario Purkathofer)
–URKNALL–
Musik: Cosmotecho /ZH
Video: Pixelpunx /AG
–METAMORPHOSE–
Musik: Ableton User Group /ZH
Video: King of Trash /AG
–APOKALYPSE–
Musik: Apokalympics /ZH
Video: Roq Film /AG
In Zusammenarbeit mit:
DOCK 18 – Raum für Medienkulturen der Welt
http://dock18.ch/trilogy
Composition derived out of the live coding setup

Super Collider Workshop
Zürich, May 2012
Mico Rex (Jorge Ramírez & Ernesto Romero), provided inputs about Supercollider, Processing, OSC communication between both plattforms, arduino and controls for computer music performance.
An interdisciplinary audience, from game designers, to editorial designers to media artists, assisted to the one day workshop and the closing concert.

NormiCity questioning the Hyper regulated Urban at reART: theURBAN
Zürich, October 2012
visit workshop programm
Colectivo Macrame is an art collective that works simultaneously in Switzerland and Mexico. They get together with the scope to find new ways of playing and experimenting together with the people around them, and to transform our surrounding for a better comprehension of it. Therefore they build cities, installations, create theater plays, record videos, etc…etc…etc… All this, trying to satisfy their restless curiosity for transformation and the desire to invite new people to play their game. “For us, less is less so let’s be more.”Human beings are organized into societies, which are ruled by norms and agreements that follow the individual needs in order to allow, control and regulate proper and acceptable behaviour in the collective life. Nevertheless, we also believe that our cities, their norms and rules are overloaded. This does not permit any space for experimentation and improvement.
During the workshop ‘NormiCity’, a series of reflections and actions will occur in order to question the overlap when norms become an obstacle for diversity and tolerance in the urban context. ‘NormiCity’ is an invitation to re-think and re-define the norms in our city, to identify which of them really contribute to a better living and which are only obsolete obstacles against the incessant changing dynamics of our contemporary urban environments.
Do norms restrict diversity? Are norms an obstacle for improvement and experimentation?
normiCity from Andrés Villa Torres on Vimeo.

Theorist
In late September 2012
web reference
Theorist hostes the interdisciplinary symposium “theorist: diskurs / discourse – discussions on discoursivity” on the lack of discourse within the disciplines of architecture and urbanism.
The discussions were held at the gallery Mark Müller between September 24th and 29th 2012, organized by Sasha Cisar.
THEORIST 1 – URBANISM & PARTICIPATION
Participants:
urbanplus (http://www.urbanplus.ch/)
Dr. Stefan Kurath, architect and urbanist
zURBS
Cecilie Sachs Olsen, theatre arts/urban studies
Sabeth Tödtli, architecture/urban studies
Sander Van Parijs, phd researcher, political science/urban studies
Nina Lund Westerdahl, architect
Instant Favelas (http://instantfavelas.org/)
Eloisa Ávila, scenographer
Claudia Baena, artist
Andrés Villa Torres, interaction designer
Paulina Velasco, editorial designer
Hans Christian Leidescher, architect

WUZU
Zürich, Switzerland – Wuxi, China, 2011 & 2012
Compared to the last years, WUZU 2011 and 2012 aim for a more individual in-depth-research, conducted by master- or talented bachelor students. WUZU 2011 has an overall topic, which is aimed on cross-cultural design processes, but within that, it can be individually open.
University of the Arts Zurich and Jiangnan University, School of Design organize WUZU equally with the same responsibility.
Team: Nando, Dylan, Lindsay and Andres
Topic: critic to the quick consume and the accumulation of goods that quickly become trash. We focused on the design of a series of fake objects which would simulate high quality / valuable products.

Live Coding Workshop
Zürich, June 2014
In collaboration with Regula Ehrliholzer & Daniela Gruber, this live coding workshop was organized and hosted in Kassette für Projekte.
Mico Rex (Jorge Ramirez, Ernesto Romero, Benjamin Sanchez). They introduced methods and tools for working with programming platforms like supercollider and processing for computer sound generation and visual art.

Mapping Research Excellence – Uni Zürich
This work is an embeddable interactive visualisation done in collaboration with Stefano Vannotti from Kitsune, Alexander Kranz from plusgestaltung and Eugen Danzinger from emd3000 for the Institute of Excellence in Research from the University of Zürich. My work consisted on the programming and the responsiveness of the applet.
Zürich, November, 2013- february, 2014
visit original website

Instant Favelas – Karton Fever
Zürich, 2011 – 2012
Series of Urban installations
Team: Hans Leidescher, Architect; Eloisa Ávila ,Scenographer; Claudia Baena, Artist; Andrés Villa Torres, Interaction designer; and Paulina Velasco, Editorial designer.
visit website
The Instant Favelas Project means the constant research and dialog between disciplines and Art. We base the project in our own exploration and concerns. Those confluences create, and this provoked the first pilot project (Piloto Kamikaze) where we explored interdisciplinary/ multidisciplinary elements such as urbanity, culture, aesthetic, music, environment, etc.
Instant Favelas creates a nomad city in open spaces of Zürich. These cities develop during one, two, or three weeks, and are normally built with free-hand collaborators-Favelanders. Our mobility or nomadism plays as much with external and natural factors as with the urban rules of the city where we play.
Inside of our Restless Doubts we attempt to achieve that the viewer’s role will be active, not merely looking at the process of construction, but also asking oneself, What is going on? Why here? Why this? Is it safe? What does it cost? What does it say? And of course, Is this Art? Hopefully we will arrive at the point where the viewer translates himself into a Favelander — free-hand – mind collaborator, who will perhaps create further interventions…
Instant Favelas as an open Art-Lab Experiment collaborated with interventions inside of our constructive structure. While building and networking our city-within-a-city, we try to understand cities. Our simulation becomes a laboratory where we invite other people to make an intervention—in the sense of a collaborative response to our project—so that we can reflect together about different aspects, such as space, economy, society, demography, spirituality and so on, that shape and define a city.
Installation in situ. Living in the nomad city. In being present and constructing the Instant Favelas, we start to create a living system. The inhabited space begins to transform.
