Other Minds and Trimpin

“The Cello Quartet,” a project exploring the interplay between humans and machines with a mechanized piano and self-playing “dancing” cellos.

Other Minds is commissioning media artist Trimpin to create “The Cello Quartet.” The work will explore the interplay between humans and machines in the form of a kinetic sound art installation and multimedia performance. The performance will include dancers, a mechanized piano, and three heavily-modified cellos on motorized platforms controlled wirelessly to “dance” and play themselves. The modified cellos and piano will be controlled by a human cellist playing her own instrument. The capacities of human musicians and instruments will be expanded through the digital interface and data transmission hardware engineered for “The Cello Quartet.”