R7 Multiplayer live

Young architects and designers are now, more than ever, sentenced to draw on a computer for most of their time. As students and young workers we have already developed a Stockholm syndrome towards the software’s modelspace, as well as a fetishist attitude in orbitating a Rhino model or an ASMR feeling while watching a Boolean Difference happening. Softwares such as Autocad or Rhinoceros generated their own visual subculture and meme lore between architecture geeks. Have they already developed an autonomous language that can go beyond the purpose they were programmed for? With the performance “!R7!MP” HPO proposes again a collaboration with CEISH, investigating how the most banale use of digital tools for image production can overcome these limitations in the most unexpected ways, in this case: live entertainment.

The live visuals, generated with the Rhinoceros software, are processed by Open Broadcast Software (known as OBS), a digital tool commonly used by twitchers. HPO has always been interested in performative arts as one of the many expressions of architecture and presently twitchers can be considered not only performers, but a new paradigm of worker. A streamer has no clear distinction between leisure time, private life and work. Therefore, how the investigation of the Twitch phenomenon can help to redefine the architect profession? With this analogy between CAD drawing and Twitch-broadcasted video games, young designers are trying to not be overwhelmed by their means of production.

The performance, executed by HPO, is a part of “Archipelago: Architectures for the Multiverse”: an international event organized by HEAD, Geneva School of Art and Design and HEPIA, Geneva School of Engineering, Architecture and Landscape. The program was broadcasted from May 6 to 8 and gathered a wide range of panelists. !R7!MP was accepted as an open-call submission by HPO.