Based on innovation, KOTKI visuals Studio creates real-time experiences in the fields of visual & performing arts, art in public spaces, live communication and alternative advertising. Founded in 2006 by media artists Mihaela Kavdanska & Dilmana Yordanova, who are also known for their AVmotional Platform’s festival and series of events, it was among the first production outlets in Eastern Europe to develop and implement projects that connect people, technology and the environment in new, exciting ways.

Human interaction, body and movement play an important role in KOTKI visuals’ projects. Whether they’re doing 3D video mapping on static or dynamic objects, buildings and open spaces, or choosing to set sparkle with image and sounds, their work frequently involves an interdisciplinary approach. Their latest collaborations lead to the development of several interactive media platforms for performing arts and installations.

Created for the Bells&Mechanisms performance at ZonaDans Studio, “Costumised” used sensors, microcontrollers, conductive materials and wireless gadgets to allow the human touch to generate sound in real time. Both the choreography and the overall visual appearance were based on the juxtaposition of the horizontal and vertical planes and their relative perceptions.

First presented at the Ars Electronica Festival, then at the Use At Your Own Risk exhibition in Bucharest, “4th Skin” reveals an interactive platform for dynamic video mapping on moving bodies, using real-time video footage, live visuals or other pre-existing content. Captured in real-time with wireless webcams or microscopes, images of the performers’ explorations are projected back on their bodies, creating a layer of multimedia “skin” or garment. Various other sources can be used for the projections and their background.

"We get to deliver an emotional state of mind, but everything that lays behind often remains hidden. What the public gets to see is just the wondrous feast they’re being served. Aside from being new and niche, there is always more to interactive art than what meets the eye.”