Algorithmic Synesthesia

This article presents a remarkable form of perception labeled synesthesia. Synesthesia is usually defined as a condition in which stimulation in one sensory modality also gives rise to a perceptual experience in other modalities. This article distinguishes between the involuntary psychological phenomenon and synesthesia in art involving intentional intermedia experimentation. No doubt, technology has made it easier to create multimedia today (e.g., the simple visualization one encounters using a media player), but the central question is not how to implement it but what to implement. This article discusses different approaches to real-time algorithmic synesthesia, in particular sharing features between simultaneously produced sound and image. It begins with the "genuine" synesthetic experience naturally occurring in a minority of individuals. The remainder of its discussion of the psychological phenomenon of synesthetic perception focuses predominantly on auditory-visual interactions.