[work in progress]

Gravity Protocol is an audiovisual performance that creates a tension between physical, mechanical and computational energies. With no battery or mains connection, the work relies entirely on the conversion of kinetic energy, driven by gravity, into light and sound.

Inspired by low-tech principles, the installation consists of a set of self-powered musical lamps, temporarily activated by the simple fall of a weight. Arranged around the audience, the modules create a mechanical orchestra in which each drop contributes to a minimalist, microtonal composition that is constantly evolving. Time is no longer metronomic; it becomes gravitational, punctuated by cycles of tension and suspension. Within this limited energy ecosystem, a generative artificial intelligence operates intermittently, depending on the available energy. It introduces random variations into sound and light, adding complexity to the composition in real time. Energy fluctuations also generate distortions, artefacts and instabilities, transforming the AI into a fragile algorithmic organism whose malfunctions become an aesthetic material of sound and light.

By making the energy consumption of digital computing visible, Gravity Protocol offers a sensitive experience of the tangible nature of the digital world and challenges our imagination of a technology that is supposedly immaterial and limitless.

concept, composition, performance:
Thomas Laigle

artistic collaboration:
Lyllie Rouvière, Tsirihaka Harrivel

construction and collaboration on technical implementation:
Lou Force

production manager:
Louise Simon

production :
Lueurs soniques

picture credits:
Thomas Laigle

This project is produced in collaboration with Ambivalences – an interregional programme for artistic creation in the digital environment. The initiative is led by Electroni[k] for Bretagne, Oblique/s and Station Mir for Normandie, and Stereolux for Pays de la Loire, with the support of the Ministry of Culture and the DRACs for Bretagne, Normandie and Pays de la Loire.