Screenshot of the Pure Data patch using Automatonism.
The Popular Way is an interactive live performance developed for the “Interactive and Participatory Art” course. It explores the topic of democratic backsliding which refers to the gradual erosion of democracy and its institutions, often happening slowly and legally. If you put a frog in boiling water, it will immediately jump out to escape, but if you put it in cool water and slowly heat it up, the frog won't feel the danger and will stay in the water until it boils to death.
Built in Pure Data using modular synthesis through the Automatonism extension, the performance allows the audience to shape the composition in real time. A custom web application leads participants through a speculative storyline set in 2035, where they encounter fictional political scenarios and are asked to vote on different polls. The results of the votes are then sent to the Pure Data patch, directly altering the sound parameters and influencing the composition.
Reflecting on the recent rise and tactics of populism by combining speculative futures with interactive sound performance it raises the question: Can people choose and change the course of transforming democracy, or is the outcome predetermined anyway?
The performance was presented at Aalto Media Lab Demo Day 2025 in Espoo, Finland.
2025, coursework, live, performance, interactive, modular synthesis
Tools used: Pure Data, Automatonism, Python, JavaScript/HTML/CSS
Web Application and Patch
Screenshots from the web app and the Pure Data patch.
Photos from the live performance at Aalto Media Lab Demo Day 2025.