La mariée mise à nu par le binaire, même

La mariée remise à nu par le binaire, même (The bride stripped bare by the binary, even*) is a hybrid performance, where a robotic structure takes over the human vocal system in order to compose coded speech. Acting solely as a complex resonant box, the performer’s body is subjugated to the machine’s will to communicate with mutated generative speech. The work spawned from a research on identity, language, translation and media transmutations, through the lens of ‘pataphysics (science of exceptions and imaginary solutions).

The machine is a metal structure holding several motors, hooks and circuits. Each motor controls a different part of the mouth, moving it in all directions. A custom-made electronic circuit is glued to the tongue, and a series of electric shocks are sent in order to make it move. Finally, an electro larynx is pressed to a specific point on the throat in order to stimulate the vocal cords. The entire structure reacts to several modes - a random speech generative mode,  and four sound analysis modes depending on the audio input in use (mics, piezos, radio waves, etc.).

The piece was presented for the first time at DA Fest (18 Sept 2015, Sofia, Bulgaria) and Device_Art Triennial(24 Sept to 4 Oct 2015, Zagreb, Croatia).

The work was made possible thanks to Conseil des Arts et des Lettres du Québec and in collaboration with David St-Onge (robotics), LPM (code), and Steve Theroux (medical).

The structure has two variations, and was the basis of the publication Robot Human Interaction. A human speaker experience in 2016, in collaboration with David St-Onge and Nicolas Reeves

* Reference to Marcel Duchamp's work La mariée mise à nue par les célibataires, 1912.