Ivan Nikolic Artcv

email ivan@fea.st
freenode or oftc IRC networks as lesh

GPG rsa4096/0xC5F74693F248EF57

keybase github homepage

intro

I’m a software enginner and an electronics/mechatronics hobbyist a with diverse background.

I’ve built machine learning clusters, drone flight controllers and evolutionary programming languages, you can check out my other, non-art cv here.

I always had a creative side, worked with artists in the past and have started to move into sound and music lately.

2020 CTM Hacklab Fellow

As part of CTM “Festival for Adventurous Music and Art”, performed at Radialsystem under the Musicmakers Hacklab

2019 Google Magenta Neural Improv

https://github.com/leshy/neural-improv

runs magenta project neural networks in a real time colaborative improv system, using midi input and output

improvRNN, melodyRNN and other similar neural networks

TODO, implement performanceRNN

2019 transcriber - real time histogram for sound analysis, with pitch recognition.

Wrote this to get some visual representation of the sound and to write filters and parsers on top of this.

Initial usecase is automatic note transcription made to hook into neural improv for real time colab/improv sessions,

you can run some of it on the web here: https://leshy.github.io/transcriber/

Run

2019 basic open source audio processing tools

https://github.com/leshy?utf8=%E2%9C%93&tab=repositories&q=audio&type=&language=

Some simple tools I ended up needing and prefered to implement my own, stuff like

touchOSC 2 midi, midi monitor, experimental sequencers and loopers etc.

2019 system for livecoding visuals (hydra fork)

Can hook into rtsp based survailance cameras and get video feeds into the system
Midi/osc input
Real time fft input
Image/video inputs
Wrote opengl livecoding for actual primitives (not only shaders which hydra supports)

2019 recursive generative language for image, composition and sound synths

Interfaces with Supercollider via a Quark and OSC,

Can simmulate L-systems, cellular automata, multiagent systems etc

Wrote this because it’s easier to describe certain compositions and synths in terms of recursive code and it’s easier to reason about them if they have a visual representation

https://github.com/leshy/automata

2017-2018 Creative.AI

https://creative.ai/

Flat hierarchy startup focusing on augmenting creativity with technology. We worked on artificial intelligence for creative industries and human-machine colaborative design. [ samples needed ] Some experiments came out of this, deep learning and generative systems etc.

2012 Soundclash

a DJ competition with a techy edge, we were using computer vision and multiple IR cameras to measure dancing in the room.

Some simple OpenCV filters and pixel diffing worked good for this, potential exploit of our heuristic was a person in a zebra shirt dancing in front of a camera, but it didn’t happen.

2007-2012 Multiple projects as a technician

Bannana Poetry

My favorite one was a lemon tree powered poetry generating microcontrollers.

(if you are a technical person you are suspicious, but this actually worked, large capacitor was our power storage, we’d wake up the microcontroller and render onto an e-ink screen and shut down, we could render a new poem every 30-60 seconds)

Sound Generating Cube

Moving each of 15 plexiglass plates would make the cube generate a specific sound, the system was reconstructing its state from imperfect information (multiple magnetic sensors) to figure out which plates are currently moving where.

It was wirelessly connected to a sound system and could be wirelessly programmed, I think it ran python or something.

2009 autoconstructive evolutionary programming language

Inspired by pushGP and other languages in the field.

(Important parts of the evolutionary system are implemented in the language itself and part of the genotype)

used it to search for interesting cellular automata and for random evolutionary optimization problems [ samples needed ]

2008 Work on the ambisonic sphere algorithms, MMkamp

In colaboration with Institute for Computer Music and Sound Technology from Zurich University of the Art

Developed a work that runs on an ambisonic sphere.

Some spherical topology cellular automata, some quorum sensing algos like boids (how does it sound for a flock of 1000 synths to fly around you?) etc

2007 Lecture on generative music and performance at Kunstraum Walcheturm

as part of Dorkbot-swiss with Experimental Electronic Interventions Group https://gentlejunk.net/2007/10/08/cellular-automata-project-on-dorkbot-swiss/

“This lecture will most definitely stay in history as first topless DORKBOTSWIS. Anna’s project ‘Suck my tits’ went with much admiration and references.”

2007 Impromondays, Accelerated Evolution Orchestra

Some simple CA based algo composition, audio processing,

Mostly shyly feeding data into other peoples instruments and setups

Long term work with Experimental Electronic Interventions Group, MMKAMP and EEII festivals

a bit of pirate radio,

experimental music

robotics

improv shows

[ samples, better pictures ]

2005-ongoing Hacklab in MI2 mama

MI2 institute member and core member of hacklab in Zagreb

This is of the oldest and longest running spaces of this type in Eastern Europe.

Mi2 organizes non profit lectures, workshops, film festivals, etc with relation to technology, human rights, philosophy and art.

It’s also a politically active space and a center of coordination of left wing opposition in Croatia, Pravo Na Grad is a good an example action against overexploitation of space and administering space against public interest.

2006-ongoing Our hacklab organizes “nothing will happen” series of anti-conferneces

Roughly 100 people mostly from around Eastern Europe interested in hacker issues/free software

2002 Croatian robotic combat league

High school years, after being dissapointed with state-wide technical competitions, we’ve organized our own, for angry nerds and our crappy robots

Random

Urban exploration as a hobby

Sea Shepherd Global, Commnications Officer

Sea shepherd is an environmental protection agency operating a worldwide fleet of ships.

On campaigns I’m responsible for secure communications between teams, I operate drones and maintain ship wide navigation, communication and network equipment. Stuff like radars, sonars, radios etc,

I also operate the ship itself as an officer of the watch.