WHAT HAPPENS WHEN MAPS BECOME INSTRUMENTS? SAN FRANCISCO-BASED ARTIST AND GEOSPATIAL ENGINEER ERIC THEISE TURNS DIGITAL CARTOGRAPHY INTO A LIVE ART FORM, COLLABORATING WITH IMPROVISING MUSICIANS TO CREATE A ONE-OF-A-KIND AUDIO-VISUAL PERFORMANCE.

IN A SYNESTHETE’S ATLAS, PROJECTED MAPS ARE STRETCHED, GLITCHED, AND REMIXED IN REAL TIME—STREET GRIDS DISSOLVE INTO ABSTRACT FILM, COASTLINES SHIFT AND PULSE WITH SOUND. IT’S AT ONCE ART, TECHNOLOGY, GEOGRAPHY, AND IMPROVISATION.

THEISE’S WORK HAS BEEN FEATURED ON SAN FRANCISCO’S SALESFORCE TOWER AND AT VENUES ACROSS NORTH AMERICA AND EUROPE. NOW, FOR ONE NIGHT, YOU CAN EXPERIENCE HIS CUTTING-EDGE BLEND OF CARTOGRAPHY AND PERFORMANCE RIGHT HERE IN STATE COLLEGE.