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Meghan Cheng
Violinist || New Media Artist
Featured Projects
Swimmers
‘Swimming’ is an audio-visual experience in which the audience is invited into the fishes’ strange, secluded environment. The fish move in their environment to the music. The visuals are audio-reactive and move to the changing amplitude of the music. Due to generative elements in the programming, a rendered video can never be reproduced.
Both visuals and soundscape are created by Meghan Cheng. The installation was created in Notch and TouchDesigner.
Both visuals and soundscape are created by Meghan Cheng. The installation was created in Notch and TouchDesigner.
BU-K
Interactive installation for the Mayor's Evening for the Arts, 2024.
Visitors used hand gestures to control the digital bouquet and butterflies.
Visitors used hand gestures to control the digital bouquet and butterflies.
Lumen:Air - Nuit Blanche
We all know the wind. We hear its howls. We see it blow through the leaves and branches in the trees. We feel its warm breeze in the summer and its icy sting in the winter. As it travels the earth, it brings with it the essence of its past locations. We can imagine that the same wind swept through our friends and family who live far away. We envision it bringing a part of us to its next destination. The wind connects us all through its global journey.
‘Lumen:Air’ is a light and sound installation that represents the strength of the wind as movement of light and sound, not dissimilar to a wind chime. It uses real-time data gathered from an anemometer (wind speed sensor) to create light animation as well as a generative soundscape.
Visitors to the installation are invited to immerse themselves in the installation’s light and sound while turn-ing their attention to the natural world by which they are surrounded.
‘Lumen:Air’ is a light and sound installation that represents the strength of the wind as movement of light and sound, not dissimilar to a wind chime. It uses real-time data gathered from an anemometer (wind speed sensor) to create light animation as well as a generative soundscape.
Visitors to the installation are invited to immerse themselves in the installation’s light and sound while turn-ing their attention to the natural world by which they are surrounded.
Isoritmo/Alice’sFall
An audio reactive music video for Francesca Gaza's haunting song, “Isoritmo/Alice’sFall”. The music video features hand drawn images, photographs and digital renderings that move according the music's amplitude and pitch.
The music video was created in Notch.
The music video was created in Notch.
Carriers
Public Art Installation, Interactive Light Sculpture for Light Up the Square Mississauga.
"Carriers" is an interactive light sculpture based on a flock of birds taking flight from the ground into the sky. The installation allows visitors to see their joys and hardships during COVID (2020-2021) translated into pulses of light and sent out into the world by the birds. The installation is intended to instill a sense of hope for its visitors. It acknowledges the highs and lows we’ve gone through throughout the pandemic and creates something beautiful out of our experiences.
"Carriers" is an interactive light sculpture based on a flock of birds taking flight from the ground into the sky. The installation allows visitors to see their joys and hardships during COVID (2020-2021) translated into pulses of light and sent out into the world by the birds. The installation is intended to instill a sense of hope for its visitors. It acknowledges the highs and lows we’ve gone through throughout the pandemic and creates something beautiful out of our experiences.
Small Wonders
“Small Wonders” thinks big by examining small beings. It is meant to bring the small, everyday creatures in our world to our attention and celebrate their beauty and importance. The goal of the piece is to spur a brief sense of wonder in its viewers and for these viewers to realize that the opportunity to be awestruck is found all around them in nature.
The piece was created using a mix of digital painting and generative art practices. Procreate was used to draw the butterflies and leaves and TouchDesigner and Notch were used to create a digital world in which the butterflies exist.
The butterflies and their environment are made to look like 2D paper, while their motions and interactions exist in a 3D, digital world. The butterflies are generative. They act as a particle system and are controlled by random noise, meaning that every time this video is rendered, the butterflies would act differently. The music is a layered improvisation on violin, though the video can be displayed with no audio.
The piece was created using a mix of digital painting and generative art practices. Procreate was used to draw the butterflies and leaves and TouchDesigner and Notch were used to create a digital world in which the butterflies exist.
The butterflies and their environment are made to look like 2D paper, while their motions and interactions exist in a 3D, digital world. The butterflies are generative. They act as a particle system and are controlled by random noise, meaning that every time this video is rendered, the butterflies would act differently. The music is a layered improvisation on violin, though the video can be displayed with no audio.
Being Tall - Music by Francesca Gaza, Music Video by Meghan Cheng
An audio reactive music video for Francesca Gaza's song, "Being Tall".
Created with Unreal Engine.
Created with Unreal Engine.
You Were Here
Motion triggered light animation for STEPS CreateSpace Residency, 2022.
"You Were Here" is an interactive light installation that uses motion tracking of people walking by to animate the lighted butterflies.
The installation alludes to the beauty found in loving something that is lost and aims to acknowledge a person’s presence, however brief it may be.
The installation is made of hundreds of individually lit butterflies. Each butterfly was 3D printed and individually shaped to create a unique creature. The hundreds of LED lights are controlled using the program, TouchDesigner.
It was made specifically for the site at 721 Queen St E.
"You Were Here" is an interactive light installation that uses motion tracking of people walking by to animate the lighted butterflies.
The installation alludes to the beauty found in loving something that is lost and aims to acknowledge a person’s presence, however brief it may be.
The installation is made of hundreds of individually lit butterflies. Each butterfly was 3D printed and individually shaped to create a unique creature. The hundreds of LED lights are controlled using the program, TouchDesigner.
It was made specifically for the site at 721 Queen St E.
Luna: The Soundshare Installation
Exhibited in InterAccess' Vectorfest, 2020
Luna breaks down the distinction between performer and audience member in a live-streamed user-driven concert experience. In a time when physical distancing measures have interrupted experiences of art and live music, Luna examines the possibilities for connection and shared experiences in this interactive and abstract virtual environment.
In this piece, a dark space is activated with light and colour through audio-reactive generative visuals. Using commands in Twitch chat, the audience can sample audio recorded from the unQuartet, a Toronto-based improvising string trio, creating a real-time collaborative audio visual experience.
The work consisted of four 22-minute sessions: Allegro Ma Non Troppo, Adagio-esque, Rondo (or not), and Allegroish-ish. Audience members controlled the sounds played in each session by using the commands listed below. Each command played a different musical gesture. Enter these commands into the Twitch live stream chat (including the hashtag) to create an audio-visual medley.
Commands:
#cello_jump
#cello_creaky
#cello_wandering
#cello_longing
#cello_vast
#cello_aggression
#cello_ominous
#cello_frenzy
#violin_shriek
#violin_airy
#violin_sad
#violin_still
#violin_pluck
#violin_flowing
#violin_eerie
#violin_scratchy
Luna breaks down the distinction between performer and audience member in a live-streamed user-driven concert experience. In a time when physical distancing measures have interrupted experiences of art and live music, Luna examines the possibilities for connection and shared experiences in this interactive and abstract virtual environment.
In this piece, a dark space is activated with light and colour through audio-reactive generative visuals. Using commands in Twitch chat, the audience can sample audio recorded from the unQuartet, a Toronto-based improvising string trio, creating a real-time collaborative audio visual experience.
The work consisted of four 22-minute sessions: Allegro Ma Non Troppo, Adagio-esque, Rondo (or not), and Allegroish-ish. Audience members controlled the sounds played in each session by using the commands listed below. Each command played a different musical gesture. Enter these commands into the Twitch live stream chat (including the hashtag) to create an audio-visual medley.
Commands:
#cello_jump
#cello_creaky
#cello_wandering
#cello_longing
#cello_vast
#cello_aggression
#cello_ominous
#cello_frenzy
#violin_shriek
#violin_airy
#violin_sad
#violin_still
#violin_pluck
#violin_flowing
#violin_eerie
#violin_scratchy
Weather the Wheat
In February 2021 in the dead of the Canadian winter, Meghan Cheng brought light to the streets of Toronto through Avling Brewery’s storefront window. Using Avling’s beautiful rooftop garden as inspiration, Ping Interactive created a real time weather display using abstract wheat motion as visual content. The abstract wheat moved according to the weather. If it was windy, the wheat would move faster. If it was snowing, the wheat would be set amongst falling snow. The colour of the wheat depended on the temperature. The visual content was mapped onto frosted film that was placed on the storefront window and was displayed during the evening and into the night. The wheat display brought a hidden piece of the brewery to the public and brought a little light to the darkest winter month.
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