Experiential Extremism Project Description Bonnie Mitchell, Elainie Lillios, Gregory Cornelius Extremism and extreme sports have gained popularity in various cultures worldwide over the past decade. Extremists and thrill-seekers continuously "push the envelope" of possibilities in sports and other leisure activities. It's interesting to note that certain activities that once seemed extreme, such as bungee-jumping, now seem almost passé, pointing to an increase in the level of danger and excitement desired by thrill-seekers. Experiential Extremism explores the concept of extremism by focusing on aspects that entice people to gravitate toward thrill seeking, and the emotional responses that occur before, during, and after extreme activities. By developing and manipulating abstract elements, we create an environment that evokes emotional and psychological responses similar to those that cause, maintain, or cease adrenaline rushes. This immersive, interactive installation is divided into three physical areas, each representing one aspect of an extreme experience. Phase One, the "psych up" phase, mimics psychological and emotional states of being prior to engaging in an extreme event. Phase Two, the "event" phase, abstractly portrays the event itself. Phase Three, the "cool down" phase, represents post-experience reflection. Each phase evolves over time, creating a unique, individualized experience with each visit. Visual and sonic events are triggered by stepping on electronic pressure sensors placed throughout the installation. The sensors are connected to MakingThings Inc.'s Teleo System, a modular input/output circuit board. Three networked computers running Cycling '74's Max/MSP/Jitter, a real-time processing application, receive and manipulate information from the Teleo System, creating the abstract experience. One integral element of this installation work is precise integration between the audio and visual elements to create an immersive visual and sonic experience. Elainie Lillios's electroacoustic events combined with Bonnie Mitchell's digital animations take participants on emotional and psychological journeys, creating the sense of being immersed in an extreme activity. Gregory Cornelius completes the group by providing the integral technical and interactivity design/support necessary to realize the project. Our joint interest in and sensitivity to sonic and visual integration using technology and networking provides a strong foundation for the project. Experiential Extremism is an immersive installation piece that requires a specific location for realization, such as a classroom, small gallery, or other space that is dark and enclosed. The piece will run continuously and will accommodate a medium sized group of up to twenty participants at one time. Participants may enter and leave the space at their leisure and experience as much or as little of the piece as they desire. As an immersive installation, Experiential Extremism challenges and changes participants' ideas of time and space, providing an integrated, networked environment that transcends our expectations of time-based, spatial art and sound. The theme and content of the piece reflect our contemporary cultural landscape by abstractly portraying society's obsession with extreme activities, sports, and phenomena. Further, the piece as a whole interfaces sonic/visual experience in an interactive platform where participants control its evolution. This paradigm creates a multi-dimensional networked dialogue where the environment becomes the interface and human presence communicates with technology, influencing local and global events. Commissioned by the International Computer Music Association Grant support from: BGSU Faculty Research Committee, MidAmerican Center for Contemporary Music Additional support from: BGSU Information Technology Services, School of Art, and College of Musical Arts Contact: Bonnie Mitchell or Elainie Lillios if you would like to see Experiential Extremism exhibited at your event.