RESEARCH- Sonicity by Stanza

The patterns, movement, and exchanges of data in the real space, are measured and interpreted as an emergent social space and used to make this artwork; in this case a sonification of the space. This data is processed and turned into sound. There are 170 speakers laid out across the floor like city which you can walk around.

This is essentially what is seen in the gallery. A city of wires and speakers across the floor or on the wall. Sonicity plays live data....ie, live data from wireless networks are used to make sonifications of real time spaces. The interactions of all this data are re-formed and re-contextualised in real time as a audio experiences. Hundreds of small speakers are wired together and the artwork is made across the available space.

Sonicity is a responsive installation, a sonification of the real space and environment. The sounds you hear are the sounds of the changing environment,  the changes of noise, light, temperature of the space is turned into a real time sound stream using dozens of wireless sensors presented as an installation on 170 speakers.

This artwork focuses on the real time space and the experience of the gallery visitor as they interact with the space, using data gathered from these new technologies. the system monitors the space (the building) and the environment (the city) and captures live real time data (light , temperature, noise, humidity, position) to create an ambient sonification, an acoustic responsive environment, literally the sound of the micro incidents of change that occur over time.

This artwork explores new ways of thinking about interaction within public space and how this affects the socialization of space. The project uses environmental monitoring technologies and security based technologies, to question audiences experiences of the event and space and gather data inside the space. The project also focuses on the micro-incidents of change, the vibrations and sounds of the gallery using wireless sensor based technologies.

RESEARCH: yang yongliang: cigarette ash landscape

in 'cigarette ash landscape', an installation by chinese photographer and artist yang yongliang, 

black and white photographs are collaged and piled to mimic cigarette ash. 

the tip of a huge cigarette sculpture hung vertically in the installation space is revealed upon closer view 

to consist of cut and layered images of city skylines. below, a pile of ash, 

composed of small rectangular image cutouts, sits upon a length of fake grass scattered with artificial flowers.

Written Paper

Elaine Zhang

MA Graphic Design

Written Paper

Words count: 529

At the end of MA study, in addition to the final show, it is significantly necessary to summarize the statement about current practice and to think about the future longer-term goals; therefore, I analyze and reflect these two parts in this written paper.

Looking back at the past, firstly I got to know my interested field clearly in the process of the self-development and did more practices. Generally, my work was to explore the stressful and fickle modern life and the suppression of emotion in urban life. In addition to the theme of my project, I am really interested in participatory art and space design, which was mentioned as key point in my study proposal and research paper. Specifically, my research and practice area was about the interaction between graphic language and the participation of audience in the organization of space. In the process, I extended my ideas by using models and installation and projecting into real private space, which all related to the ways to create ‘atmosphere’ in a particular setting. I tested different ways and tried to make my ideas visible to the public. Besides, it was inevitable to encounter problems, for example, how to realize my models in visual form and how to make viewers to experience the visual effect. In particular, after the final show presentation, I faced a question that I just thought about to use public image into a private space which was a way to make the outside stresses to contrast with the inside individual private space. However, I had not concerned that if I want to show this visual work into an exhibition space, it becomes another way to make the private back to a public space and the meaning will be changed. That was the big problem made me confused, but on the other side, it also made me to think about my work from a new point of view. To solve the problem, I will just print the private space photos as a book, rather than project it into a public space. Meanwhile, I still keep developing the idea about space experience and try to create a stressful and giddy effect by using mirrors and projection, which will be showed in the final exhibition.

Looking forward to the future, I get to know what I really want to do from MA study because of the practice and development, which were closed to installation, 3D work or participatory design in a public space. How to create the connection between the artist’s work and the viewers is a question I often concerned, so I am really interested in the participation and interaction work in gallery space, which was showed evidently from my practices and final work. As a result, after graduation, I want to do the work related to this field, such as curator, which could be worked in a gallery space and do some works related exhibition planning.

All in all, I learnt much from the MA study, found out the defect that should be concerned in the future development and got to know what area I actually interested in and what kind of profession I want to choose.

RESEARCH- STRESS IN URBAN LIFE

Under the current economic pressure, cities are no longer able to develop the way they used to, especially in the regeneration of unused industrial areas, which have become increasingly in demand due to lack of housing and infrastructure. Although nearby, they represent disconnected areas from the city centers. Considering that city expansion and large regeneration schemes remain as unrealized masterplans due to shortage of public funds and lack of incentive to private initiatives, its now a challenge to devise schemes which could trigger progressive regeneration in harmony with existing urban structures. From an environmental perspective, large amounts of infrastructure and many buildings, which could have been adopted and reused, have been destroyed. The destruction of heritage and memory, the environmental cost of willful demolition and the scale, speed of erection and brutality of the new are most of the time too much for communities to absorb. Therefore, revitalizing bits of the city that need repair, that need healing is becoming increasingly important.

RESEARCH- CDs Installation

Architect Clémence Eliard and artist Elise Morin collected the CDs and connected them into a reflective blanket using wire. Inflatable mounds provide the strange, evocative hills of the landscape.

When it will begin a tour of other locations. The CDs will eventually be recycled. Say the artists, “WasteLandscape will be displayed in locations coherent with the stakes of the project: art role in society, raising consciousness to environmental problems through culture, alternative mode of production and valuation of district associative work and professional rehabilitation.”

“It is well known that CDs are condemned to gradually disappear from our daily life, and to later participate in the construction of immense open-air, floating or buried toxic waste reception centers. Made of petroleum, this reflecting slick of CDs forms a still sea of metallic dunes: the art work’s monumental scale reveals the precious aspect of a small daily object. The project joins a global, innovative and committed approach, from its means of production until the end of its ‘life’.”

RESEARCH- Interrelation of moving image, sound and sculptural form in the portrayal of the urban environment

Hilary Lloyd has been nominated for a solo show at Raven Row, London. The exhibition marked a step-change for the artist in terms of the ambition and scale of her project, which investigates the interrelation of moving image, sound and sculptural form in the portrayal of the urban environment

RESEARCH - A Wall of Shattered Glass Floods a Benedictine Monastery

Aerial is a new site-specific installation by Baptiste Debombourg (previously) at an old Benedictine monastery called Brauweiler Abbey near Cologne, Germany. Debombourg used numerous sheets of shattered laminate glass to mimic a frothy flood of water rushing into a room. Remarkably beautiful work. .