Rotor
by Boris & Brecht Debackere (BE)

‘Brothers in arms’ combining their genes and bytes for one of the audiovisual gems from the low countries.

In their project Rotor, the Belgian brothers Boris and Brecht Debackere explore the possibilities of a virtual space, in which image and sound are closely linked to one another. The setting is that of a live cinema performance, a live display of image and sound that unleashes an audio-visual trip upon the audience. The virtual space which Rotor has developed for this purpose consists of nine objects which circle around an imaginary camera – instead of the traditional film camera which circles around the objects. This brings about different forms of visual disorientation that carry the audience away in a strange and intense totality of perception.

Boris Debackere (Antwerp) is an artist and teaches sound design in the film department of the Hogeschool Sint-Lukas. His main interests are the relation, possible integration, of different expression forms and interface design for live performances, all with an emphasis on electronic image & sound.

He studied image & sound at the Conservatory and Academy of The Hague. He is founder of Squint vzw and Gate4, organisation for ‘new media experiments’ and worked freelance for V2, Institute for Unstable Media in Rotterdam. He did composition & sound design on Herman Asselberghs’ film ‘a.m./p.m.’ (2004), 'Proof of life' (2005) and 'capsular' (2006). Programming and soundtrack composing for Marnix de Nijs’ installations ‘Run Motherfucker Run’ (2004), 'Beijing Accelerator' (2006) and 'Exercise in Immersion 4' (in progress).

Currently collaborating with Brecht Debackere on live cinema performances:

- 'rotor' (performed on several international media festivals, part of the first live cinema DVD by Worm-Rotterdam, curated by Sonic Acts for 'he anthology of computer art' DVD by The Wire - UK)

- 'Qb' a work in progress investigating the use of tangible interfaces for improvising with sound and image. Currently working on a reactive video installation 'vortices' which will be part of the exposition Gorge(l) at the KMSKA.

Brecht Debackere (1979, BE),has been working with all aspects of video since 1995, ranging from fiction, animation, motion graphics to video synthesis, interaction and concept-development.

His main interest is the integration of conceptual systems for generating abstract 3d images. On a more theoretical level he researches immersion in abstract imagery and, ongoing, the intrinsic characteristics of virtual space. After art high-school in Bruges, Belgium he attended the RITS for 2 years, studying audio-visual arts. Not being completely satisfied with being a director of fiction movies and looking for more experiment and freedom he moved to Hilversum, Netherlands, to study "Image and media technology" at the HKU. He graduated Master of Arts in Image synthesis and computer animation at that same school in 2004.

Besides being actively involved in live-cinema with the performance ROTOR and the new work in progress Qb, both in collaboration with Boris Debackere, he's also the co-founder of the online magazine Rupture-Online and the Antwerp-based audiovisual production house Visualantics.

With autofasurer, a division of visualantics concentrating on live experimental and interactive visuals, he has worked on Marnix Denijs' "Beijing Accelerator" and currently on the installation "Vortices" which will be part of the exposition Gorge(I) at the KMSKA.

• – Rotor website
• – Rupture website
• – visualantics website