I focused on projects made with Max MSP for this looking outwards. I had a hard time finding projects that used Max MSP in ways that appealed to me. A lot of projects seemed to be reducible to “audio frequency histogram in, weird wavy visuals out.” I did though find a few that I thought broke the mold and did some interesting stuff.

Rotterdam Model / Richti-Areal Model

These are two separate project that use multiple projectors to provide an overlay of light to a 3d architectural model. I like the two together because the Rotterdam project uses this overlay for educational purposes. It’s situated in a museum telling about the history of the city. the Richti-Areal Model appears more aesthetic. The creators are trying to see how much liveliness and personality they can add to their model using just layers of light. I’m reminded of many tangible user interface projects by Hirosi Ishii when I see these projects.

Metal Mirror / Drawn Music

These are two projects that use Max MSP in relation to music, but they turn the standard relationship of sound in images out on its head. In both projects, Max MSP is used to translate unexpected movements and gestures into sound. In Metal Mirror, ambient industrial music is produced using magnets and sheet of metal. The sound of the metal and the magnets is complimented by computer generated noise. It’s a variation on the theremin, but I like it. Drawn Music takes colored drawings and translates them into music in real time. The results aren’t spectacular, but I like the mashup quality of the project. Again, it’s nice to see unconstrained gestures being used as input for an artistic system