As part of Outlands Tour 3, join us for a crash course in reactive shaders with creative technologists wetgenes
@STEAMhouse,108 Digbeth, Birmingham
Friday 26th October 2018
1-4 pm
wetgenes, the feral games developers and the creative technologists behind the DRIFT aspect of the OUTLANDS upcoming tour, will be gently introducing the OpenGL Shading Language in a workshop at STEAMhouse, Birmingham, where you will be creating your own interactive digital pieces responding to improvised movement and sound. No prior programming knowledge is required to benefit from the session!
wetgenes are Bradford-based duo and long-term collaborators Shi and Kriss. They are self taught fierce believers of simple, open and accessible tech for all. The symbiotic relationship with computer language allows them to carve visions and dreams in the cold, rational environments of the digital medium; experimenting with the bleeding edge and the obsolete. Their recent work has explored neuroscience and synaesthesia, including developing an interactive installation experimenting with sound through touch, visuals and movement via augmented reality using sand, commissioned by the National Science and Media Museum.
The modern use of “shader” was introduced to the public by Pixar with their “RenderMan Interface Specification, Version 3.0” originally published in May 1988. It now runs in browsers, mobile phones, games consoles, laptops and tech such as Raspberry Pi for demoscene, games development, music videos, films, live coding, audio sets and more. wetgenes believe that Reactive Art advances the medium; its emergent nature evolves according to exposed states, changing and adapting as opposed to Static Art which is created to be viewed, consumed and digested by gaze or study.
The workshop will be taking place at STEAMhouse in Digbeth, a new centre for creative and collaborative innovation and cultural production. Developed by Birmingham City University in partnership with Eastside Projects, and funded by the European Regional Development Fund and Arts Council England, STEAMhouse runs a range of programmes and houses facilities including co-working and project spaces and the Production Space – a substantial, new makerspace with equipment and technicians to support production and prototyping in a range of media.
We will look briefly at the history of shaders and how these techniques are used in the industry right now, driving innovation in computer hardware research and development. The workshop will end with a quick show & tell.
Participants are advised to bring a laptop with a working camera and microphone. You will be using ShaderToy for the entire duration of the workshop. Modern laptops should be able to load the website but please check before coming.
Where necessary, we will collaborate in groups.
This workshop is part of OUTLANDS upcoming UK Tour: DRIFT ft. KYOKA / GRISCHA LICHTENBERGER / YTAC
There are VERY LIMITED spaces for this workshop. To reserve a space, please email [email protected] with ‘wetgenes’ as the subject.
