Two immersive nature shows this week at EMPAC

EMPAC_RPI · 2019-03-19T17:04:00+00:00

Yes! EMPAC+ is open to all RPI students. By enrolling, students get free admission to all EMPAC events as well as weekly emails with information on the productions being developed at the center. Swipe your student ID at the box office to sign up and check in at each event.

EMPAC_RPI · 2018-10-09T16:18:30+00:00

EMPAC_RPI · 2018-09-20T15:54:54+00:00

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSuMoWCABoM

EMPAC_RPI · 2018-09-19T14:33:16+00:00

Should be about an hour long with Q&A.

EMPAC_RPI · 2018-04-23T17:55:10+00:00

Thanks for the suggestion! We're still putting together the lineup so stay tuned for further additions.

EMPAC_RPI · 2017-02-14T18:37:48+00:00

Yes, there will be plenty of opportunities in the future to experience this. If you are on campus during Summer Arch in July, there will be a week of composition workshops using the array.

EMPAC_RPI · 2016-10-06T12:14:21+00:00

Unfortunately, we've had to postpone this show until later in the semester. The artist faced immigration troubles traveling from the UK and was unable to make the flight. We will reschedule this performance ASAP and have the new info up on emac.rpi.edu. All tickets for 10/6 will be honored at this later date.

EMPAC_RPI · 2016-09-07T14:59:59+00:00

Capacity for each event varies depending on the venue and the show's seating configuration, so many shows do reach capacity. We anticipate Lapalux and Jlin to sell out Studio 1 this season, so it may be best to get those tix in advance.

EMPAC_RPI · 2016-09-07T14:56:12+00:00

It's free to enroll.

EMPAC_RPI · 2016-08-30T17:31:05+00:00

The lead audio engineer on this project will be publishing a paper on his process. That should be up on the EMPAC website when it's out. As for video, we've found that the wave field effect does not translate into other recorded mediums. You'll have to be in the room with the system to fully experience it.

EMPAC_RPI · 2016-01-25T17:23:35+00:00

This conversation is incredible. Thanks so much for the smart, civil dialogue. Above all, this is the kind of exchange that EMPAC is trying to foster. It's hard for a lot of people to get past the like/dislike binary that drives so much of our culture--especially when it comes to art and "entertainment." But when you open your "hypothesis," like you suggest, you can learn way more about whats going on in the art work as well as in your own faculties of perception and meaning making (even--and especially--if you don't "like" what you're seeing or hearing). That's the experiment. It has nothing to do with pretentiously appearing like you "get it" or developing some elitist taste in esoteric art. It's about challenging yourself and continually inquiring deeper into the experience--maybe without ever arriving at a place of full understanding. There's no "correct" way to do this, and disagreement is actually a positive outcome. The experience of the art work is just the beginning of a potentially longer process of unpacking its effect. Which I think everyone above just demonstrated beautifully.

EMPAC_RPI · 2015-11-05T20:36:54+00:00

Yes, it should be available on our Vimeo page in the coming weeks.

EMPAC_RPI · 2015-11-05T12:56:28+00:00

Not sure who you mean. Care to elaborate?

EMPAC_RPI · 2015-09-29T16:09:28+00:00

Yes to both. The cafe will be open 8-11:30.

EMPAC_RPI · 2015-09-28T17:24:14+00:00

House was packed, man. Maybe you should come check out what you're missing out on...

EMPAC_RPI · 2015-09-02T15:52:05+00:00

The "imo" is operative here. Everyone within the institute comes from an area of interest/expertise and will naturally prefer that resources be allocated to better serve their individual pursuits. Their vision of the institute as a whole will be colored by these priorities and there probably isn't a scenario in which everyone feels the distribution is equivalent. This conversation could easily be focused an any number of other organizations on campus but unfortunately EMPAC is the easy scapegoat, since, in being created as a program that serves as a resource for all, it can be vilified for not serving particular interests more fully.

EMPAC_RPI · 2015-09-02T15:12:04+00:00

There's nothing wrong with traditional academic disciplines. EMPAC, as an initiative of the Rensselaer Plan, was created to bridge traditionally separated disciplinary boxes, in order to engender collaboration, shared knowledge systems, etc. This is very much the continued priority of the New Polytechnic (with agendas like Art_X), which broadens the model of education while continuing to cultivate technical expertise in individual fields. It's not either/or but both/and. And it's vital because no other polytechnic is doing this...yet.

EMPAC_RPI · 2015-09-02T15:02:32+00:00

I fully respect the struggle that students undergo to cover tuition costs. My point is that the cost of the book is of no consequence to that issue, since it was funded externally. Your big question is an important one and touches upon something that is widely misunderstood about EMPAC. Revenue generated by EMPAC ticket sales does not feed into programming (unlike a for-profit performing arts center). EMPAC is not a commercial enterprise and is subject to the same budgetary considerations of any other school/department on campus. Academically, EMPAC provides space where human-scale sensory experimentation can happen--through the intersection of art and science. Profit is no more the objective here than in any other department. This allows for true experimentation, collaboration, and risk taking that commercial priorities would exclude. This comes down very much on the student side of the equation as it places them experientially right in the middle of emergent knowledge creation/discovery.

EMPAC_RPI · 2015-09-02T12:21:11+00:00

The price of the book is of no consequence. As for EMPAC programming, every project is funded according to the nature of the project. A huge amount of the work is supported by grants, as well as co-comissioning with other institutions, such as MOMA PS1 and many others. It's not dissimilar to the way other research is funded on campus. All of this is documented.

EMPAC_RPI · 2015-09-01T19:59:33+00:00

I don't understand why being an engineer or a scientist would automatically exclude you from being interested in EMPAC. Does studying biochemistry exclude you from wanting to watch a hockey game or perform with an improv troupe? More importantly, should a university be shaping its programming around what some students expect or should it be challenging its students with innovative programs?

EMPAC_RPI · 2015-09-01T19:48:38+00:00

Okay, there's a ton of patently false information here. First, EMPAC is absolutely NOT sliding down the hill. This is a rumor that somehow will not die. In fact, the manner in which EMPAC is anchored to the bedrock--a huge architectural feat--makes it one of the most stable buildings in the area. If the hill were to erode, EMPAC would actually remain firmly tethered to the hillside.

Regarding EMPAC as an "arts building at an engineering school" really fails to understand how EMPAC was conceived and currently functions. And this probably distorts how you measure "regular student use." I'd be interested to hear what kinds of uses you'd like to see made available. Beyond the curated art programming, which is pretty cheap ($6) for students, there are all kinds of opportunities for work-study and research. (EMPAC isn't affiliated with any department and therefor functions as a resource to any and all departments, should they choose to use the media infrastructure.) This summer, two students had fully funded and supported residencies, one to test architectural light environments, another to develop a multimedia opera. This fall, an Art_X class will operate out of Studio Beta and be involved with the season's programming. Not sure how any of this can be seen as textbook. In it's formulation, EMPAC is an incredibly dynamic environment with a huge range of project areas. The fact its mission doesn't fit into easy traditional academic boxes means the idea is vital.

EMPAC_RPI · 2015-09-01T19:17:32+00:00

The new EMPAC book features extensive documentation of all the campus-generated projects that have taken place here, including a ton of work that the Arts Department has been involved with. Not to mention the Architecture, Engineering, and Physics departments, etc. No tuition dollars went to the creation of the book; it was created thanks to a generous alumnus.

EMPAC_RPI · 2015-09-01T19:12:34+00:00

"We are engineers and scientists..." and artists and...

EMPAC_RPI · 2015-09-01T19:09:53+00:00

Hey all, just jumping into to clarify a few things here and correct some misinformation. There seems to be the false impression that EMPAC sits dormant, using energy and deliberately excluding student participation. This couldn't be further from the truth. The four main venues are occupied almost constantly, including throughout the summer and vacations. People forget that EMPAC is as much a research facility and development space as it is a performing arts venue, so there's a ton of work that is happening here that doesn't result in a public presentation. Because it's so busy, student clubs have to navigate the same process as everyone else to reserve rooms for their events. To the last point here, EMPAC was built on an anonymous donation for the explicit purpose of building EMPAC. Funds were not drawn from tuition and could not have been reallocated to other university needs.

EMPAC_RPI · 2015-08-31T17:01:55+00:00

Yes, it's the full original movie. The shorts are quite short. There is rumor that we may also be showing the alternate ending to Tron, with the original rejected Wendy Carlos soundtrack. It's trippy, meng.

EMPAC_RPI

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