Since my last blog entry, I’ve done an overview of the university work I’ll have this year and
found that I’ll have plenty of opportunities to work on music and sound production in
Ableton. As such, I’ve decided it would be best to focus on developing an outline for my
sound art projects, which would incorporate visuals related in conjunction to the audio
and/or vice versa.
I want to get familiar with some kind of software for simulation and spatial representation. In
other words, I want to learn a tool that allows me to create mockups of my future
installations. I would use this knowledge to create applications for project funding, open
calls, and event placements. Such an approach to my multimedia work will help me develop
and present ideas I otherwise wouldn’t have the funds or space for. This project would also
serve as a potential skill applicable in freelancing.
Part of the inspiration came from insights into some of the artists and their works featured at
the Klanglicht Festival, which took place recently. One of the talks was given by members of
Onionlab, a multidisciplinary studio, who showed how they use TouchDesigner for project
development.
Seeing as such an approach can be used in more commercial settings, I believe there is a
chance that the project I work on would therefore not only serve as a means to create and
showcase my art, but also potentially as a skill applicable in freelancing.
One possible progression of this project would be to first learn a suitable software (or
multiple, depending on what works best), then create an artistic concept, which would be
turned into a digital mockup. This digital mockup would include visuals and audio, their
interactivity in space, simulation of movement and light, as well showcase potential
materials which should be used for construction. After I am satisfied with the mockup, I
would either apply for funding If possible and perhaps develop a smaller-scale physical
version. Finally, I would build the full installation and/or sound objects and exhibit them
somewhere.
I don’t have an artistic concept in mind yet, but I’m gravitating towards something that
transforms and sonifies the space it occupies. One example of a simple yet effective
transformation can be seen in the work of Katja Muttilainen and her installation for “the
ugliest place in downtown Jyväskylä,” where she uses light to enrich an otherwise overlooked
location and shift the viewer’s perception of it. I discovered this work through the Klanglicht
lecture as well, where it was mentioned by curator and teacher Mia Kivinen. Of course, I can
also mention Move On, my installation exploring the topic of generative spaces, which was
created for a hallway of an exhibition. Another possible motif could be to use elements and
objects found within the broader concept of space.
All in all, I believe this project will not only serve as university work but also as a suitable
framework for developing future installations and sound sculptures.
