"INTERACTIVE COSTUME FOR GALAK TIKA"
My final project will be a prototype for an interactive costume for a performance of Gamelan Galak Tika and Kronos Quartet. The performance will introduce the first electric Gamelan, blending tradition with new technology. I plan to make a costume that will be able to illustrate this convergence in an elegant and harmonious way, keeping thus Galak Tika’s vision. “Galak Tika” is Bahasa Kawi (classical Javanese, a dialect of Sanskrit) for “intense togetherness.” Taking in consideration the cultural significance of Gamelan music, its religious and ritualistic aspect as well as the universality of music, I hope to design a costume that will be rooted in tradition through material and color choices, but innovative enough that it will be able to depict information not usually picked by the lay listener by integrating a sensor network in the costumes. For example, the way Gamelan is performed through rythmic interlocking of parts or “kotekan” could be nicely displayed and add insight to the complexity of the performance. I hope to integrate various elements seen in class, from making fabric Lilypad Arduino’s to experimenting with composites and digital printing.