Melissani Spirit Generator is an immersive and site-specific interactive art performance held inside the legendary Melissani Cave in Kefalonia, Greece. Inspired by the mythological tales surrounding the cave, the project reinterprets its spiritual narrative through a multi-sensory, tech-driven experience.
The aim was to extend the human presence in the cave through interactive technology, transforming its subterranean lake and cavern walls into a living environment activated by the audience.
Core Interactive Elements
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Mobile Interaction (Android)
Visitors boarded rowboats equipped with Android phones running a custom app. Through the app, they triggered visual and sonic effects throughout the cave. -
Projection Mapping
The rugged surfaces of the cave — its walls and ceiling — were used to display reactive visual content, reimagining scenes from the myth with dynamic storytelling. -
Particle Physics Animation
Generative visuals based on particle systems created flowing, ethereal shapes that responded to user inputs, symbolizing spirits and forces of nature. -
Movement Tracking (Kinect)
A Kinect sensor detected audience presence and movement, integrating it into the narrative layer and potentially affecting projections in real time. -
Performative Lighting & Character Interaction
A live performer, personifying the mythological figure Pan, used controlled lighting and gestures to interact with visuals and guide the story. -
Live Music Performance
Inside the cave, flutist Wilfrido Terrazas performed live, weaving music into the spatial and digital choreography.
Technical Infrastructure
To enable this unique performance, a full on-site wiring and power system was installed inside the cave — enabling projections, sensors, mobile interaction, and sound without disrupting the natural environment.
Community & Artistic Collaboration
The project actively involved the local community and artists of Kefalonia, bringing their interpretations of the myth into the performance. The result was a collaborative, evolving artwork that merged myth, nature, and real-time media.
Artistic Credits
- Concept & Direction: Adnan Naseem Khan
- Software & Interaction Design: Max Kazemzadeh, Victor Diaz, Reza Safavi, Carles Gutierrez
- Sound: Wilfrido Terrazas, Bilal Nasir Khan
- Narration: Max Kazemzadeh, Adnan Naseem Khan
- Performers & Contributors: Sofie, Evie Kagadi, Katia Dimisianou, Natasa Gravani, Nancy Angelopoulou
- Production: Astral Hawk Productions
- Partner: Inion Center