In summer 2017, I initiated an artistic performance project around an interactive costume that should be able to react on environmental input. The costume can be configured and cued remotely through a graphical user interface providing the ability to connect to any other stage technology via OSC or to work in standalone mode. The concept further contributes to integrate IMUs as motion sensors and vibration motors as motion actuators for exploring interactivity of dance movements within contemporary dance performances. Its fashion design is characterized by the aesthetics of illuminated fiber optic cables distributed over the whole performing body but almost invisible when turned off.

In sum, I threaded around 100m of fiber optics into the costume; it was a lot of handcrafting to finish it. The costume prototype has been realized in close collaboration with a dancer/choreographer, a visual artists, and a sound composer. We followed an iterative approach - the development performer and the visual artist regularly tested the costume during rehearsal workhsops conducted in the lab. Surprisingly, the costume last excessive dance motions and difficult yoga poses. In summer 2018, the costume and its controlling software were finished and I took it to the Choreographic Coding Lab in Mainz for further testing. There we managed to connect the stage environment (visuals and sound) to the costumes motion data and I got feedback from other performers after wearing and dancing with it.