Cain, A., MacDonald, L., Adegbite, P., 2024.

Time Pops Like Chewing Gum - A Poetry for Change - Contact Theatre Performance - 2024

Time Pops Like Chewing Gum is an afrofuturist Metamore poem adapted into a film, this new surreal form combines the contrapuntal with the sonnet. The poem explores the nuances of algorithmic technology, the decentralisation of information and globalisation contrasted with our growing sense of digital dissociation and addiction. The film centres around two lovers separated by space and time whilst highlighting the liminal space between digital and physical. Time seems to "pop like chewing gum" as the characters try to connect in cyberspace around the backdrop of global issues and personal trauma.
The audio for this work was composed using Lois' own library of samples generated using an open source model. She created her own audio datasets of herself performing both vocals and instrumental phrases and used PRiSM SampleRNN to generate new variations of these sounds to work with. Lois also used an electromagnetic microphone to capture the sounds of her laptop as it trained. This is used as a bed for the whole track to sonify the constant ambient hum of our everyday devices that we depend on, but also reduce us to data.
The visual elements of this piece were crafted through a synthesis of emerging generative artificial intelligence tools and advanced digital image creation and manipulation software. Each shot was meticulously curated and refined to achieve a symbiotic relationship with the written narrative and performance. The images were then edited to ensure synchronisation with the underlying audio, resulting in a cohesive hybrid media experience that seamlessly integrates genAI imagery with traditional artistic direction and post-production techniques.