Tiny Chronicler
An AI-driven machine as a third performer on stage
The Tiny Chronicler is a musical instrument created by Marta Forsberg and Andreas Dzialocha, which listens to stories and converts them into musical scores through AI.
After importing a voice recording, pictures, and videos into the Tiny Chronicler, it can generate a musical score, called a “Chronicle” which can then be performed live using MIDI instruments. These intermedial performances consist of music, video projection, lights and the original voice recording.
The device is meant to serve as a travel diary for Passepartout Duo, who has used the machine to conduct interviews with people they meet in their travels, creating new compositions through the machine.
The project was workshopped during a residency at Studio Éole (France) in October 2022 and implemented for the first time during the duo’s residency at Nawat Fes (Morocco) in 2023.
The Tiny Chronicler’s software is also open source.
Tiny Chronicler at Nawat Fes
The tool was the centre of an evening long artistic intervention in the public space of the Fes Medina.
During a two month long residency Passepartout Duo conducted a series of interviews with most the people they met, asking a set of thirty or so questions. Answers to these questions were then given as source material to the Tiny Chronicler.
The resulting musical works were shared during a free public dinner-concert, offered to around thirty participants, who were invited to join the conversation to produce new material. The dinner event consisted of courses of questions, food, and music.
During the process the two musicians have engaged with ideas of information collection, language translation, communication, and the value of ‘official’ and ‘unofficial’ archives. The attempt has been to give agency to everyday people’s stories and lives in an inclusive and engaging way through an artistic approach.
Collaborators and Support
Marta Forsberg (Musical Composition, Concept)
Andreas Dzialocha (Software and Hardware Development, Concept)
Nicoletta Favari (Performance)
Christopher Salvito (Performance)
Support from: The Swedish Arts Grants Committee (Konstnärsnämnden), Helge Ax:son Jonsson Stiftelse, Byggnads Kulturstipendium, Nawat Fes /ALC Fes