Micro To Macro Microorganisms, Sound and Robots by Scott Kildall and Kal Spelletich

Micro To Macro: Microorganisms, Sound and Robots by Scott Kildall and Kal Spelletich Thursday, November 19, 2026 Doors: 7 PM Performance: 8 PM Q&A: 9:45 PM View our FAQ page for more info, or contact us at [email protected] with any accommodation requests. Scott Kildall and Kal Spelletich team up to perform with electronics that capture the hidden signals of bacteria, plants, and crustaceans and transform them into sound and robotic movement in a three-act performance. The first performance will be Kal's participatory Plant Powered Orchestra, which uses sensors attached to plants to trigger sound machines. Scott will then perform Bacterial Beats, translating live electrical activity from bacteria he collected from the Salton Sea into generative musical compositions. Their finale will be a new collaboration, Micro to Macro, which tracks ostracods (tiny aquatic crustaceans) as they swim across a microscope slide and maps their movements into robotic motion and sound. Finally, a breathalyzer-activated pipe organ at the bar adds a human interactive element to the evening. Surfing the wake of AI slop, these two longtime San Francisco artists embrace “Natural Intelligence.” The organic world is full of complexity that can best be performed live with electronics. Scott Kildall creates artworks that transform hidden environmental data such as water quality, air quality, and plant signals into sculptural sound installations. Using custom electronics, he creates generative experiences with uncertain outcomes. His work has been exhibited internationally at the Venice Biennale, Transmediale, Vancouver Art Gallery, and New York Hall of Science. He has received fellowships and residencies from SETI Institute, Autodesk, Eyebeam, Recology San Francisco, and Joshua Tree National Park. Kal Spelletich is an American contemporary artist, anarchist, and pioneer of San Francisco’s machine art scene. For over three decades, he has hand-built complex, interactive robotic sculptures and kinetic installations designed to explore the boundaries between humans and technology.