Similarity in Media Content: Artistic Perspectives Abstract

In this paper, we examine how browsing multimedia content by similarity can foster new practices in new media arts, blurring the boundaries between composing and performing, curating and authoring, creating and interpreting… building upon techniques such as Cut-Up, Plunderphonics, Collage, Mash-Ups.

We developed MediaCycle, a framework to design application for browsing multimedia databases by similarity (audio, images, video). We present several artistic works and prototypes making use of this framework: an audio loop manipulation software application for “realtime playlisting”, a website for browsing dancers’ identities through video recordings, and interactive installations recomposing mixed media. We also propose other possible uses of this framework.