Electronic _Khipu_ by Patricia Cadavid

Patricia Cadavid’s Electronic _Khipu_ is an instrument for interaction and experimental sound generation operated by weaving knots with conductive rubber cords into which sound compositions are encoded. This instrument is based on an Andean quipu, the ancient textile “computer” used for the processing, encryption, and transmission of information in knots and cords of cotton and wool. KHIPUMANCY is a Performance Documentation Video that documents the performance of KHIPUMANCY, presented at the Ars Electronica Festival in 2021. In this collaborative performance, Patricia Cadavid and Paola Torres Núñez del Prado explore the interplay between tradition and technology, performing with their respective khipus: the Electronic_Khipu and the ML: Knot() Khipu. Together, they reimagine the Andean khipu as instruments of sound, storytelling, and cultural resilience.