fluid narratives is an interdisciplinary research-creation project that reimagines the ancient turkish art of ebru (marbling) as a contemporary medium for sonic composition, interactive performance, and visual storytelling. begun as a doctoral dissertation at the university of california, berkeley, the project develops an augmented marbling instrument that translates water, pigment, and gesture into real-time sound and image.
historically practised and innovated by women, ebru is a fluid, ephemeral art form embedded in ottoman cultural heritage. this project expands its scope: contact microphones and transducers capture the intimate physics of marbling, while computer vision and custom max/msp software translate visual patterns into evolving sonic and spatial structures.
the research asks: whose knowledge counts as technological innovation? by foregrounding the material intelligence of a feminized craft tradition, the project challenges eurocentric narratives of technology and proposes alternative models for instrument design, notation, and performance.
contact microphones capture water, pigment, and tools. custom max/msp algorithms translate gesture into granular textures, spectral freezes, and multichannel spatial diffusion.
recovering women's contributions to ebru and reframing material craft knowledge as technological innovation within postcolonial and feminist discourses.
computer vision tracks fluid dynamics in real-time, generating gestural control data for spatial sound and interactive video. development spans cnmat (berkeley) and hear (strasbourg).
a 15-minute work following an alchemical arc across five sections. the harmonic field is progressively stripped until only a single pitch remains. the ebru tray acts as the primary electronic sound source; the voice emerges from its world.
opening pitch: g3 (shadow). final pitch: e6 (singularity). low register to high. ambiguity to presence.
each mark is the residue of a gesture in liquid, not a symbol.
single articulated event, any pitch, defined by context.
sustained tone, letting sound spread and decay naturally.
continuous pitch or timbral slide in the indicated direction.
rapid reiteration or tremolo; speed proportional to density.
oscillating phrase or pitch fluctuation; continuous motion.
unstable, vibrating sound; timbral or dynamic fluctuation.
circular pattern: loop, breath cycle, or repeated figure.
structured melodic or rhythmic figure within free context.
layered, overlapping phrases; polyphonic wave motion.
active silence; withdraw, leaving resonance or room tone.
precise articulation that redirects an ongoing gesture.
ambient texture or drone; present but never dominant.
sudden cut, abrupt stop, or violent accent breaking continuity.
air sound, breath noise, or residual tone dissolving into silence.
sustained pressure: held tone, muted surface, effort against limit.
gradual shift of timbre or material; previous state still audible.
updates on performances, publications, and the project.