“Room Dynamics” is a multi-modal, modular composition exploring perceptual and affective states arising from the interactions of dynamic media architectures and the material architectures within which they are embedded. A site-responsive audiovisual architecture marked by 12 points of light and sound – each consisting of an incandescent light bulb and corresponding speaker – bisects the space vertically and horizontally, immersing spectators while remaining permeable.
The resulting architectural contour manifests dynamic behavioural states ranging between individual activities and collective operation, leaving a trace on its surroundings: reshaping its appearance and volume, creating movement and perspectival changes. Through the temporal development of this audiovisual architecture, supplemented by dynamic ambient lighting and tactile vibration, the gallery space is activated: making available architectural features, articulating navigable pathways, colouring and shading the experiential space through which the spectator navigates.“
In this piece, the lightbulbs correspond to the sounds. It’s a satisfying, simple visualisation of how sound waves behave. A drone-like sequence where the lightbulbs fade in and out of brightness and a more percussive passage follows. The spatiality of this piece is intriguing. Tactility is a term I hear a lot in association with surround installations. “Making Available Architectural features” reminds me of the installation work of last years Visiting Lecturer, Daisuke Ishida. But personally, the architectural features of a ‘white cube’ falls a little flat for me as an investigation. I think in its current setting, this installation quite as interesting as the work by Daisuke Ishida as in this instance, the exhibition takes place in architecturally distinct environments.
Sound wise with Adam Basanta’s exhibitions, I do not find the sounds I am hearing very satisfying, as someone who has a sensitivity to sound, the high pitched frequencies cause a discomfort and low level anxiety. However I think its interesting in the sense that, I don’t fully believe ambient spaces should be 100% satisfying and criticism I have become aware of within the sound arts community, is the propensity towards Ambiance. An architectural experience of space, mostly meditative as opposed to challenging. This quite harsh high frequency does in affect maybe make it less hospitable and therefore there is an element of discomfort. However, due to my own hearing. Its not something I would go out of my way to experience as on a bad hearing day could cause slightly painful discomfort.
“Contour, for a hallway is a site responsive audiovisual architecture overlaid within a material passage way. The arching contour reaching from the lobby to the elevator is marked by 12 “points” of sound and light, each of which may behave independently or join with its neighbours to create larger collectives. The contour’s dynamism – manifesting in both sound and light – leaves its trace on the hallway, reshaping its appearance and volume, creating movement and perspectival changes.
These processes take place throughout a ~20 minute modular compositional framework.
— This is an extension of the first, and whilst I do find it quite hard to bare, it’s an interesting concept. I find the compositional elements in this satisfying in between the high frequency blasts.
Overall use of light to colour sound and spatiality is very well executed here. You get an appreciation of quantum level of sound through this visualisation. It makes me feel a little bit like I am on the set of some kind of supernatural paranormal activity film. Aesthetically, it’s a bit too minimalist in its execution for me? I find the second description of the piece, more of a representation of what I am viewing. I do not agree that these works are tactile, as the viewer doesn’t really interact with the space. They are still spectators, in my opinion.
“…such macro-structural temporal aspects are rarely, if ever, discussed in the growing body of literature dealing with sound and audiovisual installations. This absence is noteworthy; after all, sound and audiovisual installations, by virtue of their use of sonic materials unfolding in time, must exhibit some time-based structural or formal features.”
Basanta, Organised Sound
“…audiences can expect to hear sequences of sanctioned (sound-based) material voca- bulary emanating from a localised source (the stage), and experienced from a privileged, static vantage point, with each ‘work’ (or singular form) book-ended by performative acts (i.e. entrances, clapping) indicating clear beginnings and ends.”
Basanta, Organised Sound
Spatial configurations can thus be envisioned as enabling a ‘bodily flow of an individual whose decisions as to where to be [construct] the [media] composition’ (Labelle 2006: 73).
Basanta quoting Brandon LaBelle, Perspectives on Sound Art
Reading the first 3 Chapters of Basanta’s Organised Sound. Clarifies some of my musings on his work a little. Tactility, it seems to him is most likely in reference to the ability to walk through the spatialised composition, taking the visitor away from a traditional concert experience. The visitor enters and leaves when they enter and leave, the piece is breaking from the Western traditions of concert music form. Start to End – ‘Birds Eye View’ notation. The audience participation, a book-end to the performance, with silence, clapping and applause.
Music as temporal experience? Post-structuralism? What’s the compositions form? How does the work operate formally? Spatial Architecture, Time-based media, Mobile visitor. How do these effect the visitor’s experience?
When talking about the Temporal… Longplayer also springs to mind.
Does Sound Art have an obsession with the temporal?
La Monte Young & Marian Zazeela’s Dream House. Sine Wave drones constantly playing in a magenta room. This piece has been installed in various places since in conception in the 1960s.
These temporal pieces, are not linear in a sense of the visitors experience of them.