Category: Group 6 – Grace / Darren

wk5: Sound & spaces

Gleanings from previous critique session

 

Questions to ask:

    1. Who is the actor?
      tired people of NTU that needs to getaway, take a break
    2. What is the experience?
      -Peaceful
      -Place of rest and getaway
      -A place to linger
      -A place where you can close your eyes to experience or to stare into blank space
      -Comfortable
      -Cool and comforting
    3. How does the context and contents influence the behaviours?
      -Form>Organic
      >Soft (Like foam or cloth)
      -Material used
      -Color choices
      -Objects
      -Lighting perception- white light
    4. How would the public ( first Impressions) view it?
      -Want to walk in and experience it firsthand
      -Mindful of the experience and the members that are already inside
      -Interesting concept and space that could be unique
    5. How would people perceive it?
      -Attractive
      -Inviting
      -Individual sanctuary
    6. Do we force people to pass through? VS drawing people in (this!!)

 

 

Things to consider:

  1. The physical is primary, the mental influence is secondary (our hope is that whatever the physical installation is, it would spark the mental influence that we hope for)
  2. Be practical!!
  3. Almost religious /personal experience?
  4. Simple- like a sponge scape?
  5. Mindful/ sitting area?
  6. An alternative silent room/conducive environment for a silent zone
  7. Context specific + DOABLE
  8. Creative way to induce the feeling

Things to do:

  1. Streamline to one idea (What kind of silence do we want to achieve?)
  2. Shortlist environments
  3. Curation of materials to create forms
  4. Material specifications (sound barriers??)
  5. Proof of concept (do up a prototype)

maybe its abt doing a

WHO: tired people of NTU that needs to getaway, take a break

WHAT: Permanent experiential installation located at an arm’s length from ntu’s busiest areas , such as north and south spine.

WHERE: ntu’s busiest areas , such as north and south spine.

WHEN: During the active hours of the day

WHY: NTU is a bustling education hub, full of learners, thinkers, dreamers and makers. We would like to create something to provide respite, a moment to experience silence.

Sensory overload- regulatory patch, to create a space, environment and shell that is yours.

Research

LETS GO

1.WOODS: A SOUND-REACTIVE INSTALLATION

The sound-reactive illumination takes the spectator through the emotional and physical journey of the performer at the center. The sequenced installation builds the setting, following the motion of the story while providing a consistent spatial response for the viewer.
Sound sensitive installations

Woods from Nocte on Vimeo.

http://www.yankodesign.com/2013/01/04/woods-a-sound-reactive-installation/

audience as the performer?

2. Sound sensitive light installation flickers according to voice
https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/soundsensitive-light-show

BruumRuum! from artec3 Studio on Vimeo.

3. Akousmaflore


Living musical plants
Vvvv cool!!
http://www.scenocosme.com/akousmaflore_en.htm

Quite tactile though

  1. More tactile installations

-using the medium to connect the participants
http://www.scenocosme.com/metamorphy_e.htm

http://www.scenocosme.com/fluides_e.htm

 

Using a fabric/water

5. Using breaths to transform the environment

Exploring the principle of breathing allows us to evoke the territory which constitutes the atmosphere.

We share this territory but we modify it with our various activities. There is an interrelationship between the fact of breathing, of have an action on the environment and to breath this feedback.

Also, take time to breathe is a symbolic way for taking again conscience of the natural rhythms, (biological and seasons for example) opposite to the productivity. It’s also an invitation to the concentration, the meditation.

Interesting idea haha but i think the application doesn’t really work

Sculptures

5. At rest

Clasped together in this way, they are ambiguously evocative of praying hands, or hands offering something, or even hands severed from the human body altogether, like a momento mori symbol. They have a human-like quality and the sensation of touch is palpable, but their pale white colour suggests the contrasting state of death.

https://intoform.wordpress.com/2011/09/18/suspended-bodies-clark-goolsby/

6.HOW SILENCE SOUNDS IN THE DESERT (OR THE ILLUSION OF THE MUTE)

http://www.faena.com/aleph/articles/how-silence-sounds-in-the-desert-or-the-illusion-of-the-mute/

7.Composition #11, Brandal

http://www.electronicbeats.net/the-feed/hear-an-interactive-sound-sculpture-inspired-by-radical-modern-art/http://www.contemporist.com/space-light-sound-and-drugs-by-cochenko-and-quatorze/



Our moodboard

Wk4: Sounds and spaces

RESEARCH

Can maybe start off with what we would like them to feel and experience, then can work outwards from there.

I was thinking the influence mental silence

Words
Discursive-> what is the question we want viewers to ask? Is the piece directing them to question something (then what could be our method of questioning) or is it emotions we want them to feel or is it both or does one come after another?

Sound  

Silence
Sound of silence (from our second concept)
-> spaces that emit silence could be:
Physical -> (I think those silent rooms could be a little scary and disconcerting  was chatting w Chengyue she said that it feels like it could be a place to provide challenge to the public like who can stay inside the longest rather than a space of respite hahaha interesting observation.)

Or
Emotional/mental -? Like a place to break/pause/stop & listen

-> could it be abt creating a stillness/a silent presence?

  • Like in an installation but is it a created atmosphere or like creating something to enhance a certain location’s atmosphere

-> what elements create stillness (is it subjective or objective ?)

For me its like the inflating and deflating balloon, it feels like a heart pacer or an unconscious breathing exercise, v calming to watch hahaha

Or even things that are symmetrical, horizontal lines, idk fresh air hahahah like the smell of grass

In terms of sounds (idk if too literal/obvious but just putting it out)
Flowing river, the sound of a gentle breeze (interesting cos u can’t really hear that in and of itself but its kinda reflected in the surroundings like mm rustling leaves, fluttering gauzy fabric, floating fog), wind chimes/bells? Like a temple?, rippling water

What is the atmosphere we want to create and how do we prompt an emotional response?

What contributes to creating an atmosphere? (from the reading) -> dependent on people’s emotional sensibility (at the end of the day we cannot move everyone just hopefully most people)

People, air, noise, color, materials present, textures, forms
I guess space too like the distance at which you can enjoy the atmosphere? If its something grounded, or suspended, or balancing precariously or firmly rooted

Space

Sounds of a space (this is like our first concept)

Not only physical sound but sounds we attribute/remember based on the memories attached or emotional significance

<Like if we remove all the sounds from NTU what would we hear? Hahhahaha is this  too out there/unhelpful qn??? Idk i think it would make a majestic sound like a wise old whale hahahahahhahaa u know that echolocation woooooooOOOOOOooooooooOOOO sound >

Listening  
<Ok this is the mess I’ve got so far will dig for some examples now I hope….this is useful LOL >


Megan Geckler
Creating lines to enhance depth and height; makes you feel smaller; contemplative mood/ transforming spaces

Sounds of spaces

Interesting forms actually it reminds me of those tube things at children’s playgrounds where u can speak and listen to ur friends like a v primitive telephone

Sculpting the wind, kinetic sculptures v pretty! Also his artist statement q congruent w some of our key words

Sound sculpture-i know we’re trying to move away from this but its cool but yknow everything is cool to me lol

http://www.electronicbeats.net/the-feed/hear-an-interactive-sound-sculpture-inspired-by-radical-modern-art/
Wah

“conceiving of sounds as constructive material, as architectural elements that allow a space to emerge. “ https://www.archdaily.com/168979/bernhard-leitner-sound-spaces

sounds like sand/beads falling through tubes so nice haha therapeutic


<aha so funny>

<Omg i thought about something simlar to the archi one with the 360 speakers, dammm>

<Haha can see how we can expand on that >

So gentle and serene

“A round surface of water in the glass with a floating magnetized needle, reminds me somewhat of a tiny earth with geomagnetism. The smaller the sounds of the glasses will be, the more keenly viewers’ sensibility will be sharpened. In the meantime, they realize that the sounds don’t come from outside of their bodies, but already exist inside of their mind.” – Nelo Akamatsu

I love the minimalist approach of only using a few elements and letting the complexity emerge from having multiple instances. Also, where most sound art is often very “visual” in simply showing the elements that the installation experience exists of (the speakers, the wire, the sensors), this work does not show the regular elements but maybe an even more stripped version of it. A speaker is also a coil being pushed and pulled, it also works with electromagnetism. In that sense, Akamatsu’s work is a very, very rudimentary work of sound art.

http://www.faena.com/aleph/articles/how-silence-sounds-in-the-desert-or-the-illusion-of-the-mute/

Only lets 5 people in at a time , sculptural and experiential room

Commentary on the sound of NTU vs a response to the noise in NTU

IDEAS

1st approach: On creating physical silence in NTU

Goals: To create an environment that is mindful of our surroundings, reminding us of the value of silence in an environment that is totally saturated with sounds.

To question the necessity of so much sound.

To create moments of stillness, although not a comforting sort of silence rather a very careful, tip-toe-y kind of silence

 

Output:

  1. Sleeping lions(hungry Lions) /  Sleeping babies ( Crying babies) / ERP gantry that is activated by sound, deduces money/ something else from you as a penalty if you activate it  

-Participatory installation

– induced silence from two main channels with is either fear or the act of being considerate.

– what would truely induce silence, would it be the fear of losing your life for out of concern for others.
<UPDATED!>

2nd approach: On creating a mental silence (serenity)

Goals: To create a space in time to pause and listen
In response to a sound saturated environment
How we see silence
An experience that is visceral rather than intellectual

Output:
1. An abstract sculpture/installation composed of different materials that evoke calmness, stillness and silence , or extreme interest that causes people to pause and notice

-Maybe something suspended that will guide the eyes upwards to take a break from what they’re doing and breathe.
Possible locations: Library
2.

3rd approach:  Sounds a space produces
Goals: Not in a literal representation but of the emotional/spiritual (cant think of a better word) sounds of a space
Abstracting the essence of NTU and attributing it to a sound
Eg: the bustle of students coming and going, their joys and their struggles, all these sounds define ntu however when we remove the sounds that occur within the school, what sound would this building facade make?

Output: 1. A physical representative of the abstract? Or more we could do a representative of data collected ( cos i think this would be quite subjective, would it be better to do a survey?)

 

-To be continued-

Exploration on Time through Sound

We started by listing out some of our main focuses for this project.

Themes & thoughts: Time through sounds.
“An invitation to PAUSE, view, be with, and to explore.”
“To bring attention to sounds that have been ignored to forefront”
“Expressions of each other, is time or sound the key focus?”
To look at how discursive design can help bring our messages across.

Next we set the definition and parameters of Time and Sounds for this project.

Time

  • Time is relative for everyone in NTU.
  • The university as an institutional body hold different meanings for different members of this body at different stages .
  • Although the main consumers of the institution are the students, who are undergoing their final stages in their educational life, we must also consider other members.
  • Time mainly has two main playing factors , stage in life, period of stay, the permanence of their period in this body
  • Educators, members of faculty
  • Family of educators that live in this “ village”
  • Members of staff, administration, research, service , cleaners.
    –    These are the key background players of the university , and their period or term here actually the longest as compared the to the students themselves (as students only stay at for approximately 4 years during their period of study) 
  • Students at different levels
  • Visitors
    –    Perhaps the most important members in the institution, they are the driving force of the university, it embodies what the institution operates for.

Sounds

  • Sounds never occur in isolation.
  • We are constantly being bombarded with a wide range of sounds. A key component in understanding our acoustic environment is through our brains being able to mediate the perception of the sounds around us though attention. This problem is known as the cocktail party syndrome
  • By focusing both sensory and cognitive resources on key information from our environment, we then naturally classify sounds based on their importance.
  • Naturally important sounds usually transmit information to us
    –    Voices , Music,
  • Background sounds usually carry information, but however not important to us at the point of time.
    –    Machine sounds, Wind, Rustling.
  • However these the importance of these sounds are interchangeable as they still carry information to us, and may actually alert us to certain dangers.

Research 
We listened to an audio podcast reading on-Place. Time. Sounds
http://seismograf.org/fokus/fluid-sounds/place-time-sounds

Take away points

  • The role of silence in music
  • Place, time and sounds
  • The absence of produced sounds
  • Listening as a performative act
  • To become a listener
  • Sound as multiplicity
  • “I hear sound and lose it”
  • Sound is a cultural artefact
  • Urging people to listen to the sound of the world
  • Let sounds to be themselves
  • Listening in the world rather than to it
  • Making listeners performers, and performers into listeners

Sketches & ideation 

Exploration 1/ Of sounds that we may have taken for granted 
For instance the sound of human voices when hearing automated messages

Method: Provide visual or sensory prompts for people to be more aware of sounds

  • showcase sounds in the different form
  • prompts the user to subconsciously match the existing sounds to those in their memory bank
  • To target the secondary sounds of a physical or mental environment and not the most distinct, loudest or obvious ones.It’s a collective diary of the micro daily 
    Different outlets/forms that produce one time sounds that can be uploaded. Not only sounds but compliments, insults, worries, ideas, thoughts, questions and gleanings  contributed by the people of NTU.OR

    An archival of memories of/from people who pass through NTU; commemoration of arrivals and departures. Be it students, staff, families or tourists. 

    Translating audio/verbal anecdotes into moving images/compositions or text

Forms: 2d Kinetic Artwork
-Sound landscape produced by Mercedes-Benz engine Andreas Nicolas Fischer
-Generative art (created by an autonomous systems)

https://www.mercedes-benz.com/en/mercedes-benz/lifestyle/adventure/generative-art-from-amg-sound-to-sculpture/

-Split flap display

Examples:  MONUMENT TO CHANGE AS IT CHANGES   2011-Peter Wegner
 https://vimeo.com/180772311
http://peterwegner.com/detail.asp?id=212

-Visual database in real time
Pulse Index 2011- RAFAEL LOZANO-HEMMER
http://www.lozano-hemmer.com/pulse_index.php

It (data/narratives) could be represented literally or abstracted 
eg:

 

Forms: 3D static space, installations or sculptures

-2016, The Oculus at The World Trade Center, NYC
Courtesy of Sennheiser and SET Creative

-Soundscape by Edmond Wong
Visualization of the chinese national anthem

Exploration 2// Sound of Silence

To appreciate either silence or noise

-Meditative or disorientating experience

Approach:

To block out noise to provide silence in a busy environment either physically or through creating dead zones with technology, speakers.

Noise cancelling panels that revolve and create momentary periods of noise reduction.

To be done in a different experiential way as compared to what was offered already. Instead of just sitting in a room as part of mediative environment, we want to bring it forward to passageways in the school.

Create divisions to public spaces during events through paneling, noise cancelling can be directional.

FORMS:  Physical representatives

-Anechoic Chambers

 

An interpretation of the infra-ordinary.

 (I) Anchored

(ii) Afloat

Inspired by Georges Perec  article on the infra-ordinary, we tried to seek out the banal and the forgotten on campus. Both Darren and I were inspired by the abundant flora and fauna on campus which surprising become most noticeable at dawn and dusk.

Hearing the bird chirping in the morning made us think about what other sounds get shuffled to the back of our consciousness throughout the day. We also questioned if sounds were produced and heard at specific timings in the day and if so, wouldn’t that make it a highly suitable method of determining the time of the day. Therefore we started on our journey creating an acoustic clock which could be unique to the sounds of NTU.

In our sound piece wanted to explore the sounds that beyond our awareness, for example the air condition ventilation units that hum the moment the school starts working till they stop for the day. In some sense, it is an indicator of something we feel and not hear.

That was the basis of our piece. After collecting and arranging our sound piece, we created the accompanying sculpture using the form of a sound wave. The peak of the wave represents the time where background noise is most jarring and chaotic.