It’s as simple as this: two grids or lined patterns collide, creating an optical effect that immediately calls and immerses the eye. When superimposed, these patterns create a gripping display of bands, undulations and intricate designs that appear to dance, vibrate and shift. This visual phenomenon of mathematics, physics and art is called “moiré.”

You've probably encountered moiré in your everyday life—think of the patterns that materialize when two finely lined grids intersect. Even in the realm of photography or printing, moiré can surprise us when fine outlines or halftone designs overlap or align in unexpected ways.

In House of Moiré, this abundant effect is investigated, enhanced and scaled up; its possibilities and limits are defied, unlocking its potential for awe and immersion.

**MUTEK releases House of Moiré, the second and most mysterious XR artwork of the Immersive Collection, out now on SteamVR.**

House of Moiré is an inquisitive and naturally psychedelic 6DOF voyage into a void-like realm, where one’s experience is defined by the curiosity of their eyes and ears. Each room combines audio programming, live processed field recordings, voice modulation and immersive spatial design amidst a backdrop of transforming architecture.

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Vibrant and Participative

Participants advance through succeeding rooms, and are left to negotiate notions of found narrative in the presence of absence, navigating shifting space and varying timescales, within a minimalist audio-visual frame in constant flux.

“A departure from your lived experience”

A Long-lasting Collaboration

This phenomenon of lines and light is at the heart of a long-form, bi-coastal collaboration between Chloe Alexandra Thompson and Matthew Edwards (aesthetic.stalemate). The pair use custom audio software, depth cameras, motion capture, point clouds and interactive design principles to explore fascinations with psycho-acoustics, sound spatialization, sensory illusion and real-time virtual environments.

Moiré at MUTEK Montréal 2019 | © Myriam Ménard

This investigation has yielded a series of A/V works which include a live show, a video game and a video,all culminating today in the release of an Extended Reality (XR) artwork.

Their use of XR probes the bridges between audience, performer, sound, environment and oneself. The resulting experience is an uncanny interplay of connectivity and dissociation.

Playful and Forward-looking

MUTEK is proud to release a work which carves a playful space at the intersection of art and science; a work that is unafraid to compose with the constraints of VR in order to create a meticulous and minimalist environment where each element fulfills a carefully designed purpose. This non-traditional and abstract VR artwork is unlike anything we’ve seen before in this creative space, conjuring an escapist interplay between 2D and 3D forms.

The artists’ contributions are complementary and mutually illuminating. Thompson’s intuitive spatialized soundscapes act as both a cinematic score and a generative mover of the visual environment depicting a distillation of elemental linework, rudimentary geometry, ambiguous symbols and transforming moiré patterns. Edwards elevates these as towering sigils, vertical mosaics, and grandiose architectures that phase-shift along with the soundings.

The interweaving of these elements allows an integration of the pair's collaboratively developed language and emergent constructions of indeterminate space.

International representations

After its Canadian premiere at MUTEK Montréal 2023, House of Moiré has been embraced by a number of international events and programmings, from MUTEK Mexico and Tokyo, to FilmGate Interactive at Miami Art Week, to Magnetic Fields Festival in Rajasthan and winning Best VR Work at Black Swan International Film Festival, recently landing at 36degré’s psych.e audiovisual festival. More roamings to come.

Part of MUTEK's Immersive Collection

House of Moiré is the second of three Immersive Collection projects to be released, marking MUTEK’s debut in XR content production. Neither documentary nor classic fiction, neither concert nor game, these works defy traditional genres and define a new category of audiovisual XR experiences that are deployed from original concepts, non-traditional narratives and advanced digital creation tools. They combine abstract and figurative interpretations, spatialized sound design, radiant visuals and the playful and persevering mindsets of artists venturing into new grounds.

Find out more about the Immersive Collection projects

MUTEK acknowledges the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.