How can we tell and listen to stories in ways that help us understand the emergent and systemic aspects of gender and sexuality-based marginalization and resilience?
Choose one of the following Flocking QT simulations to start exploring:
The Flocking Queer & Trans Stories simulations are interactive digital art installations that explore how computational simulations of emergent complex behaviours, combined with individual storytelling, might provide us with new ways to deepen our understanding of gender and sexuality-based marginalization and resilience through computer modelling, public coding and art.
Research
The simulation is being researched as part of Dylan Paré’s Ph. D. dissertation research. See the Research section for updates on publications and presentations related to this work.
Installations
The simulation was initially developed during the Mind, Matter and Media Lab’s Paul D. Fleck artist residency in the Leighton Studios at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. The simulation was designed by Dylan Paré, developed/coded by Dylan Paré and John Craig, and received advisory support from Dr. Pratim Sengupta and Dr. Marie-Claire Shanahan of the Mind, Matter and Media Lab at the University of Calgary Werklund School of Education, Canada. It has exhibited at the Banff Centre, TELUS Spark Science Centre, and DigiPlay at the University of Calgary Werklund School of Education.
The Queer Code Collective’s second iteration of the simulation is called Flocking Bow Valley and is an extension of the original Flocking QT Stories installation, with all new stories collected from Bow Valley LGBTQ2S+ community members and a redesign of the simulation. This simulation was made possible through the support of artsPlace Canmore and Canmore Pride. Flocking Bow Valley made its debut at artsPlace Canmore during their Festival of Art and Creativity and during the first Canmore Pride Festival.
The algorithms build upon Dan Shiffman’s implementation of Craig Reynold’s Flocking algorithm in Processing (open source). Funding support from the US National Science Foundation is also acknowledged.
MEDIA COVERAGE
Rocky Mountain Outlook: ‘Boids’ demonstrate deeper meaning for LGBTQ experiences