Opening Festival
In celebration of the opening of the Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute presented three weekends of artistic performances and workshops, premieres of EMPAC-commissioned artworks, presentations of research at the frontiers of science, and social events ranging from black-tie elegant to come-as-you-are eclectic. The Gala Weekend offered audiences an introduction to the EMPAC program and mission with performances ranging from 15th-century choral music performed in a 21st-century concert hall to late-night DJ-VJ parties; a Presidential Colloquy and the official Ribbon Cutting kicked off the weekend. The Symposium Weekend brought together an international group of directors from leading research institutions to share their work in the arts, design, and media-based research, spanning augmented reality to the visualization and auralization of scientific data; and the Homecoming and Family Weekend offered events and performances ranging in media and style—including many student groups—focused on the greater Rensselaer community.