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Sound art is usually set as an installation, because they’re not really a better way to appreciate this type of artistic discipline by discipline ourselves before the medium. Just like any other art, sound art does not required to be publicly-accepted-melodious conventionally, we can find its inspiration from daily routines, places we can’t experience as we like, or places we will never be. Whether or not the sound art is engaging is what we can appreciate from the piece. What’s amazing that sound art can be appreciate with and without our vision, or more like, the audio experience are the main body of the art but enhanced by the visual aesthetics of the artwork.

Since the visit to SAM, I’ve encountered several pieces of sound art, such as

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Raising Spirits and Restoring Souls (left, 2015) by Zulkifle Mahmod and Too Far, Too Near (right, 2015) by Ong Kian Peng. The two pieces are the first two sound art I’ve ever encountered, and they have always stuck in my head for sometimes after the visit. However, since I’m able to research for more sound art overseas, I decided to surf the web and explore this medium.

Among the results I found, I find Lola Gielen’s Neo (A music instrument everybody can play.) more interesting than others.

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Lola Gielen, a newly graduated product designer from the Design Academy in Eindhoven, created her instrument named NEO with a Raspberry Pi computer running on Python script. The python allows the Raspberry CPU to process the sensors for both the instrument and extra attachments’ sensors. The instrument is simple to play by placing the beads contained in the center onto the little pits on the main body, a rhythmic looping music will then start playing accordingly to the placement of the beads. This music are just composed to simple notes and the tighter the beads are placed apart, the faster the rhythm will be.

The piece resonances with people who are not talented in musical instruments like me. The intention behind this piece are clearly claimed in the title, a musical instrument which everyone can play. The artist wanted to give a musical experience for people who don’t regularly have time and talent to play instruments. Viewers are able to interact with the instrument while create a unique piece of music through different arrangement of the beads. It is similar to computer coding/looping software but the users can make the simpler version of digital music on the spot without any computing devices. This blurs the line between the touchable traditional instruments and digital instruments.

I find this piece interesting as it has an attractive interactivity and functionality. It also breaks the limitation of music creation as creating music won’t be exclusive to people who can play instruments. It can be educational for children or music amateurs and introduced the wonders of sound and music effectively to both groups of people.

Thanks for reading.

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It’s difficult to talk about a residence in a deeply manner without staying more than a day. In my case, however, a total of 4 hours after three visits is what I get. I can’t complain about the 2 hours of traveling which required switching between 3 transportation lines as this kampong is the subject I chose, and I have to find the theme out of it.

So I think the third trip kinda proofs that ideas will come to you by itself. I kept getting something new in every trip. When I try to investigate some aspect of the kampong, the kampong put me down at some point and came up with another point for me to make. Long story short, the idea for the video is born.

The whole video format is inspired by video essayists on Youtube who narrate their subjects and sometimes interact with what they edited. So, it’s my first self-narrating video, please pardon my tones and accent.

When a type place became rare, people are ensured to make a big deal about it. This is my answer to what I try to contribute for the kampong’s overdone status. This video focus mainly on one random interviewee, and usually the representative, Auntie Sun is the one who do the explaining. When a random villager has the same issue with their as what the representative said, this issue can be proven kampongwide. (Auntie Sun told the same zoom-in-to-a-grandma-house story on my second kampong trip.)

I hope that it came out sort of like a public announcement, not to leave them alone, but respect them as a residency of Singapore. They don’t mind their kampong is famous, but worried that their peaceful life style is affected for the rest of their retirement.

 

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The following “dance movements” are rated PG-13. A “dance” for our first class activity of our first module of our second semester. Based on some of my personality traits, such as randomness, laziness, and interest in improvisations. Many thanks to my buddies, Zactee and JOAN for helping me out with the video.

Previous project:

The Emerald City – Trailer.

 

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This video essay produced by Lewis Bond on Youtube has a great analysis on films’ color selection. It explained the color theories as well but in a more detailed and clarifying way than my amateur generalized analysis. Therefore, I recommended this for everyone to watch and discover the efforts the art directors and filmmakers put in order to produce an extraordinary movie experience for the public. I am not 100% sure the colors are intentional but they certainly performed their own purpose.

I like video essays for films. They give out the knowledge without using big words to prove they’re intellectual and provide the great teaching and demonstration on the suitable platform. It’s a lot more effective than reading the film theories on books because films are meant to move, thus it’s better than the screenshots on manual books. The timing of video essays is always spot on so the voice over is never boring.

Below are the video essay channels about films I recommend.

  1. Every frame a painting
  2. Movies I love and so can you
  3. Now You See It
  4. Nerdwritter1
  5. Channel Criswell

They all have their reasons to spend 8+ minutes to learn. You may disagree with some of them but it’s always good to see how people do their homework.

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Due to the fact that it would be pretty much a blur after zoom for the photo. Here’s the video that goes through each and every lines in my final work! (Unframed.)

I’d say this project is a satisfied work for me. Yet there’s definitely some flaws in my final work, such as the aesthetic of the work. It’s a pity that I didn’t choose to try more methods of creating the patterns. Compared to my classmates works, my work lacks variety of materials and techniques. I believe some of the lines can be improved through different types of approach. This project has taught a lot to me and I hope that I can jump out of my own restrictions in my next project.

-END-

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Title: Rooftop

Summary: A girl invited a boy to find her at the rooftop.

Story structure: 3 arc structure

Genre: Intended to be Tragedy. Perhaps the acting in the beginning was assumed as comedy during screening. Though I am not sure how. (Serious.)

It’s started as a random short video idea as we don’t usually tell the whole process in a short video.

Now that I think of it, I may got influenced by the film I’ve watched during the time, Se7en. Se7en has a clue for revealing the real murderer in the middle of the film, where John Doe disguised himself as a reporter, and can be spotted portrayed by Kevin Spacey. Similarly, there’s a photo in my video which its duration intentionally shortened hinting the twist at the end. Please scroll to 1:10.

Hope that changes a tiny perception. Thank you guys for watching it through, although feeling cheated.