Contingency and Synchronization: Conceptual Framework, Artistic Experiments and Speculative Syn-theses

Abstract

Contingency and Synchronization is an ongoing research project exploring the interplay between openness and predictability in computational art. Utilizing distributed multi-agent networks, the project investigates computational synchronization phenomena across installations and visualizations. Central to the project are the concepts of contingency and synchronization, providing a framework for understanding aesthetic nuances arising from computation, sound, site, and collaborative decision-making. This paper examines the project’s conceptual and artistic impact. It explores the relationship between contingency and synchronization and addresses repercussions for concepts of listening, emergence, computation, space, and performance, and presents speculative theses outlining preliminary findings.