Viktoria Modesta

Viktoria Modesta is a Bionic Artist. She is an accomplished singer/songwriter, performance artist and creative director who uses high-tech fashion wearable technologies incorporating sensors and cutting edge controllers in prosthetics.

She’s a major statement representing the new music industry vision and an icon of empowerment and creativity - and we’re thrilled to have her at #MTFBerlin.

Her recent video project Prototype has been seen and shared by tens of millions worldwide. Her message and image are an inspiration in the world of the arts, popular music and science as well as a transformative milestone for the global image of disability.

Born in USSR in 1987, Viktoria spent her childhood dealing with health issues and hospital confinement in the restricted society of the Soviet regime. She escaped to the UK in her early teens and approached doctors to have her lower limb amputated in order to finally take control over her body and her identity.

Viktoria has been made ‘Director’s Fellow’ at MIT Media Lab and recently opened the ‘TechStyle’ exhibition at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts with her her signature ‘spike leg’ and the ‘Prototype’ video featured in the exhibition.

In the week of 23-29 May 2016, Viktoria will work closely with an invited group of artists, creators, makers, designers and inventors to push her vision to whole new levels, as part of #MTFLabs at Music Tech Fest Berlin. Music Tech Fest is a giant creative laboratory and the global festival of music ideas. The tenth edition will be at the legendary Funkhaus in Berlin, and is bringing together artists, scientists, academia and industry to celebrate and invent the future of music.

The results of the week-long #MTFLabs exploring Interactive Performance and ‘Music as Extension of the Human Body’, will be performed and showcased at #MTFBerlin to coincide with the release of Viktoria’s brand new ‘Counterflow’ EP, mixed at Samplehof Berlin.

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‘Smokification’ by Anouk Wipprecht for Viktoria Modesta
Accelerometer-based leg equipped with an Arduino 101 with embedded Intel Curie which steers intuitively Viktoria’s movements while she interfaces with the world around her using a facade of smoke. Anouk is working with Viktoria on using her prosthetic leg as a gestural music controller, in collaboration with Alex Murray-Leslie from Chicks on Speed.

Sonified carbon fibre body suit
Selina Bond’s carbon fibre body suit has here been augmented with an array of sensors which, in combination with a Puredata patch, can translate Viktoria’s physical movements into musical note data. The tonal qualities of this musical sequence are then further modulated by a BPM biosignal, captured via a pulseoximeter within an earring.

This series is a collaboration between several artists and makers under the creative direction of Viktoria Modesta and Joanna Hir. Carbon fibre body by Selina Bond with shoes by Iris van Herpen X United Nude and creative concept for electronics by Anouk Wipprecht, sonification of the carbon fibre body by Adam John Williams. Prosthetic with the Alternative Limb Project. Photography by Nhu Xuan Hua. Styled by Joanna Hir, assisted by David Asmutis. MUA by Lan Nguyen-Grealis, hair Kim Roy, and set design Helen Sirp & Lisa Jahovic. Produced by Michela Magas and Viktoria Modesta.

Watch Prototype

More to see and do at Music Tech Fest

May 27-30 at Funkhaus Berlin

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#MTFSparks: teenage music hackers

At #MTFBerlin with the help of leading UK educational expert Siobhan Ramsey, Tom Flynn and Daniel Lopez of Sandbox Education, in collaboration with creative education expert Alexandra Antonopoulou, the #MTFSparks built, tested and performed with their new inventions on the main stage at the festival.

It’s Time to Talk About the Voice

This spring, an extraordinary gathering of creative coders, visual artists and vocal experts assembled at #MTFBerlin, forming the first cross-disciplinary #MTFLabs: Vocal Tech.

Adventures in Accessible Music Tech

One of the things that’s most important to us at Music Tech Fest is the idea that music is for everyone. Not just to listen to, but to make. Removing barriers to participation is one of the great applications of music technologies.

Michela Magas: Innovation Luminary

In a gala award ceremony in Amsterdam, festival founder Michela Magas was presented with one of the highest awards for Innovation in Europe.

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People walked on the moon and they’re cloning sheep – so why can’t I dance while drumming?” LIZZY is a humanised drumkit – and she’s coming to perform at #MTFBerlin.

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What would it be like to climb inside a working musical instrument? What happens when you combine pigs, sheep, and TNT with modular synthesizers? Find out in the Blam for Minecraft demo at #MTFBerlin.

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Matt Black is half of legendary DJ duo and multimedia pop group Coldcut, formed in 1987, and founders of Ninja Tune, the UK record label. He joins us at #MTFBerlin to perform the world premiere of his new audiovisual composition, ‘Ich Bin’.

A Music Tech Fest world premiere

Join us for a Music Tech Fest exclusive: the premiere of Emika’s Symphony No. 1 in a live mix and intimate discussion about her creative process at the incredible Funkhaus Berlin. The event is free to #MTFBerlin weekend ticketholders.

#MTFBerlin: Announcing…

In January 2015 disabled musician John Kelly presented Drake Music with a blueprint for an electric guitar that would be accessible to him. At #MTFBerlin, Gawain Hewitt of Drake Music joins us to showcase this groundbreaking prototype.

#MTFLates: Introducing…

Graham Massey is a legend of electronic music. A multi-instrumentalist, producer, DJ and broadcaster, he came to prominence with his seminal electronic act 808 State – and he’s performing an exclusive solo set in the private after-hours club night on Saturday at #MTFBerlin, in a hidden chamber of the Funkhaus.

#MTFLates: Announcing…

Sarah Farina is one of Berlin’s most revered DJs – and we’re thrilled to announce that she’s joining us at #MTFBerlin as the first of our guest performers at #MTFLates – the private club night happening after the festival on Saturday night in a hidden chamber of the Funkhaus. Sarah’s internationally-acclaimed bass-heavy and futuristic sets are inventive, inclusive, positive, thoughtful, and tight as a drum.

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Ben Heck, host of popular YouTube channel The Ben Heck Show joins us with his crew at #MTFBerlin to hack, invent, share a bit of maker knowledge and film a special episode of the show surrounded by our 50 hackers in the element14 Hack Camp.

#MTFBerlin: Announcing…

Ian Wallman is a world-class record producer and remixer with a string of awards, a UK top 10 hit and collaborations with major artists under his belt. He joins us at #MTFBerlin to lead and coach a group of emerging Berlin dance producers in the Trackathon.

#MTFBerlin: Announcing…

Three-time British beatboxing champion, singer, songwriter, actor, looping artist extraordinaire and one of Elle magazine’s top 100 inspiring women in the world, Grace Savage is coming to #MTFBerlin at Funkhaus, 27-30 May.

#MTFBerlin: Announcing…

Graham Dunning is a sound artist and experimental musician who works with found objects. His ‘Mechanical Techno’ consists of multiple treated records spinning on a single turntable, impacting physical objects, triggering analogue synths, striking percussion and mechanically triggering drum machines.

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Ricardo O’Nascimento is a designer and founder of POPKALAB in Rotterdam – a design research studio with a focus on innovation in the field of wearable technology.

#MTFBerlin: Announcing…

Jan Bang is one of Norway’s most accomplished and influential producers. The often hushed and spacious sound he crafts is utterly beautiful and breathtaking – creating a sublime and reverential atmosphere. Listening to Jan Bang can be like walking into a cathedral at midnight.