A Deaf-led Sci-Fi Adventure by Myles de Bastion (IKIGAI MACHINE Live Experience at PICA)

IKIGAI MACHINE Live Experience at PICA.
Public Puzzle Room coming soon to Portland Oregon! ikma.io
The IKIGAI MACHINE, is a Deaf-led art experience set to a sci-fi story of an inventor born in a world without sound. The work encourages audience role-playing, puzzle-solving & sensory immersion with sound substituted with non-verbal communication, light, & vibration. The narrative is inspired by Myles de Bastion's experiences as a Deaf musician & features imaginative environments including a Crystal Cave Mine, Doctors Lab, Inventors Workshop, Neon City & more. Prominent collaborators include musician Chris Funk (The Decemberists), lighting designer Jeremy Roth (Wilco), CymaSpace & tactile wearables lab Music: Not Impossible.
The project aims to promote inclusivity, diversity, equity, and accessibility by incorporating universal design from the beginning and ensuring accessibility for all ages and abilities.
This iteration, a 3,000 sqft experiential art installation pop-up event of the IKIGAI MACHINE was hosted by CymaSpace and Portland Institute for Contemporary Art (PICA) for 2 weeks in Feb 2020 just before the world COVID19 pandemic shut down. The performers are all Deaf and wore masks to signify that there was no breathable air
(This eerily foreshadowed the mask mandates that were enforced in the years to come and extremely challenging for the Deaf community who rely on lip-reading).
Special thanks to the many creative talents that participated in the building and enacting of this project:
Andre G
Alex M
Brandy G
Chris F
Eric W
Ian VW
Jordan A
Luisray A
Mike M
Miki S
Nate H
Philip W
Scott S
Tim G
This project was made possible thanks to funding from the Regional Arts & Culture Council, ArtMatters Foundation, Bodecker Foundation and Portland Institute for Contemporary Art.