SEMA CEREMONY

Türkiye’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism brought on Illusionist Digital Arts Studio to digitally reinterpret the Sema ceremony, the Mevlevi tradition inspired by the inner world of the whirling dervish, through immersive visual systems. Developed through research into the ritual’s symbolic structure, the work uses 3D scanning techniques and visualisations derived from EEG (Electroencephalogram) data, to create a richly layered and textured visual world of large-scale nebula and particle scenes.

A team of two artists—one working in Houdini and the other in Notch—set out to develop the project’s animation. They chose Notch for its ability to handle multiple data sources, deliver high-quality output, and develop complex visuals, all within a very limited timeframe. Using Notch’s real-time workflow, the artists could test and refine their ideas quickly with significantly reduced render times, resulting in a faster, more fluid creative process.

Illusionist built the project’s visual structure from multiple data sources. First, they captured several environments with a 360° camera and converted them into 3D models to make high-polygon scenes, which they then imported into Notch to manipulate in real time—all without particle caching. They brought in EEG data collected from dervishes into Notch and used it as a data layer to drive the particle systems’ behaviour.

The team also used Notch for previsualisation. By importing a 3D model of the stage to Notch, they could easily test the scale, composition, and atmosphere of their creations within the real-world venue.

The result is a one-of-a-kind immersive experience that’s earned a positive reception from both viewers and the press. It’s currently touring nationally and continues to be performed regularly.

Additional press coverage:

AKM.