HoloAbbado In 3D

Here at Arts Journal, they featured a story in the Miami Herald about a proposal from MIT students and The Cisneros Group that proposed the following high tech feature be incorporated into the new Miami Performing Arts Center: “a three-dimensional hologram of Claudio Abbado, the conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic, transmitted in real time, via Internet, from Germany, conducting the New World Symphony”. Or as I like to call it: Star Trek Geeks + An Orchestra = Cool Ideas

Being an avid Star Trek geek for many years, this idea instantly appeals to me. And it’s obvious that the MIT students have watched the same Star Trek episodes as I have which feature a room called the “Holodeck”; a specially outfitted but otherwise empty room which can create both solid props and characters as well as holographic background to evoke any vista, any scenario, and any personality (thanks to startrek.com for that definition).

In several of the Star Trek Voyager episodes, they feature an opera singing holographic character that teaches a part-human-part-cyborg how to play piano. Although it’s nice to see that music will still have some place in the future, it’s a little depressing to only find that machines and holograms take an active interest in it.

Unfortunately, the immediate impact of the MIT idea is only appealing on an initial level and it wouldn’t amount to more than a “really cool” feature.  But all ideas need to start somewhere and if they can find someone to “pony up the dough” for the project than I say it’s a worthwhile endeavor. You never know, maybe this technology will let Daniel Barenboim stay in Berlin while fulfilling the need to participate more in Chicago.  Perhaps you can be in two places at once – beam me up Scotty…