Recursive Radiance: Multimedia Interpretations of Traditional Chinese Aesthetics
This paper presents Recursive Radiance, a multidisciplinary artwork integrating traditional Chinese practices with contemporary technologies through parallel sonic and visual implementations. The project pairs a four-channel acousmatic composition with an installation of graphic scores inspired by the Jianzi notation system. The sonic component transforms improvisations based on the traditional guqin piece "Cai Zhen You" (Wandering in True Essence) through fab synthesis, spatial diffusion, and electronic processing. The composition uses chaotic attractors for spatial movement, creating an immersive soundscape that embodies Daoist principles of fluidity and transformation. The visual component features a series of digital scrolls, functioning as both notation and a parallel artistic dimension. These graphic scores emerge from a hybrid methodology combining traditional ink boxes with tensioned strings, cyanotype printing, 3D environmental scans, and AI-assisted imagery created through LoRA models trained on interpretative readings of the Guqin's notation system. Recursive Radiance functions as both a hybrid physical-digital installation and a framework for cultural preservation. This paper documents the completed musical composition, graphic scores, and conceptual approach to public engagement through immersive multimedia. Our research demonstrates how computational tools and engineering techniques can support artistic expression while preserving cultural heritage, offering new pathways for audience interaction with traditional art forms through contemporary multimedia experiences.
