F I N I S M U S I C A E
2024 - ongoing | art and transhuman tech collective with Charlotte Kemp Muhl and Sage Morei
Previously the secret research project of Fredrik Gran, Charlotte Kemp Muhl and Sage Morei, Finis Musicae has now come out with their transhuman anatomy extenders, designed to improve the lives of people with disabilities, enable remote collaboration between artists with telekinesis and physical robotic avatars, and ultimately perform Beethoven in space. Revealed 20240909, sneak live premiere 20240808 at at Fuse Energy Facility, San Leandro, US, with Serene pianist and Jaron Lanier.
Links:
Finis Musicae site
Coeval Magazine interview
MusicTech interview
Wired review
Arte TV documentary
Selected performances:
Fuse Energy Facility, San Leandro
Mercer Labs, New York (permanent installation)
50Y, Salesforce Tower, San Fransisco
NY robotics, Brooklyn Navy Yard, New York
MD&M, Javits Center, New York
DAEMONIUM MACHINÆ
2025 | permanent installation, Mercer Labs, NYC
An infrared motion tracking camera allows visitors to conduct the robot cellist in an entirely novel and visceral way. Transcending the boundaries of what defines a performer, DAEMONIUM MACHINÆ allows for telekinetic operation of a physical instruemnt in a neurochrome cathedral.
Commissioned by Mercer Labs, the permanent installation features Finis Musicae’s bespoke technology, otherwordly design and and original score (Gran/Kemp/Morei), in collaboration with Teenage Engineering’s OP-12 and modular POM-400s.
A Finis Musicae Corps Production
Fredrik Gran – Robot Cellist Designer
Charlotte Kemp Muhl – Director
Sage Morei – Creative and Technical Director
Tim Loderhose – Software Lead, Systems Engineer
Nader Shokair – Mechatronics
Megan Gesner – Programmer, Rosin / Interface Code, Installation Supervisor
David Levine, Theresa Merchant, Corrie Deeb – Production Coordination
Rob Ruth – Technical Advisor
Christopher Strawley, Torge Goderstad, Nathan Nokes, Xuelong Mu, Eric Chang – Real Time System Support
Roy Nachum – Head curator
Special thanks to Jacob Henessy-Rubin of NYC Robotics Network, Canal Plastics, Vention and Karl Ericsson of Svenska Elektrod AB.
Permanent installation (opening 20250424) at Mercer Labs, New York