Inspired by the Poeme Electronique, the renowned Philips Pavillion at the 1958 World Fair in Brussels, BALTAN’s Poeme Numerique programme is a metaphor and methodological framework for how one can meaningfully support and develop innovative, interdisciplinary artistic research. It is dedicated to the exploration of new strategies for integrated, interdisciplinary artistic practices in relation to the spatial experience and presentation of generative and interactive, digital media-based art.

In 2010, BALTAN focuses its Poeme Numerique research on PNP (Poeme Numerique Pavillion). By using a concrete framework such as PNP, with a clear set of conditions and contexts, the collaborative, interdisciplinary approach to be developed has a clear design focus and common aim.

The conditions for this research are outlined as follows:

• PNP is both a work in itself as well as a container for research and art developed during the project.
• PNP is a mobile, adaptable, responsive structure integrating architecture, audio and visual media.
• The scale of this structure is that of a small pavilion.
• The structure will be mobile in order to function as a permanent research vehicle that investigates the relationships between its content and changing contexts.
• Strictly formulated, the rigid division between content and context is what we would like to research and to see disappear. That is why generative and interactive principles will have a special focus in this project.
• Subjects of exploration in this research include: media architecture, public space versus private space, interface & interaction design, generative sound & image, and the environment in which these performances take place.

An integrated design of PNP, as well as the process of doing this research and therefore the processes leading to new strategies for integrated design in architecture, are the ultimate goals of the research. Knowledge exchange during the research process between collaborators and creators from different disciplines doing the core research, as well as external players engaging on the periphery of the project (for example, guest artists, students, lecturers, technology developers, workshop leaders, etc.) is a crucial aspect of the project. The constant flow of creation, reflection, reaction and response between the disciplines throughout the design and artistic process will ideally lead to a completely integrated end-result.

The PNP research builds on former research by BALTAN Laboratories. In 2009, MUA, Telcosystems and Geert Mul worked independently on artistic, architectural and technical research projects next to each other at BALTAN Laboratories, getting to know each others’ way of working, and creating a foundation of preliminary work with which to continue.

Telcosystems developed 2 projects at BALTAN Laboratories in 2009. They both deal with, or act as enablers for, immersion, surround cinema and the spatialisation of time-based experiences:

• 12_Series is a large scale multi-channel, audio-visual, generative artwork. 12_Series was exhibited at Wood Street Galleries (Pittsburgh, USA) from April-June 2009. It is also presented as part of the Flux/S festival from September 9-12, 2010 in Eindhoven
• Baltan Player involved research into and realisation of a sync SD multichannel AV playback system for artists, museums, galleries, creative industries and businesses.

Geert Mul developed an experimental motion-tracking system in BALTAN Laboratories:

• BALTAN Tracker: Far Infra Red (f.i.r.). This involved the realisation of a stabile, simple motion-tracking/detection system based on a thermographic camera. Through this research, other alternative or additional tracking systems (laser) were also investigated.

Maurer United Architects developed 12 case studies for a utopian media space – Poème Numérique. These designs were developed in dialogue with the work of Telcosystems and Geert Mul.

In 2010, Telcosystems are working on both a live version of 12_Series as well as a second version of 12_Series, the installation. Maurer United Architects are doing research into a BALTAN House, combining the programme of a single house with the programme of the Poeme Numerique Pavilion (PNP) into one. Geert Mul is working on a project around database visualisation and ‘audiolisation’.