Glass and Fans: Spatial Infra-Instrument Framework

Melanie Buntine; Anthony Lyons; Heather Gaunt; Eugene Ughetti

Glass and Fans: Spatial Infra-Instrument Framework
Image credit: Melanie Buntine; Anthony Lyons; Heather Gaunt; Eugene Ughetti

Abstract:

This installation explores the entangled relationships between technology, creativity, accessibility, and participation through Glass and Fans, two interactive spatial sound installations developed using the Spatial Infra-Instrument Framework (SIF).

Rooted in Percy Grainger’s vision to “blur the distinctions between performance, composition, and listening”[7], SIF transforms everyday materials—such as glass and fans—into versatile instruments, enabling participatory engagement for composers, performers, and the public, regardless of prior musical or technical experience.

As described by Hugill, Grainger “foresaw that bricolage, often using fairly cheap and readily available technologies, would become central to … a ‘democratic’ approach to music-making” [7] in comparison to observations from Roser et al. that “emerging technologies are often expensive and, therefore, initially limited to society’s richest. A key part of technological progress is making… these innovations affordable for everyone”[9]. SIF embodies the principles of: • Flexibility; to bend and mold to individual artistic practices by utilising high performing, open-source toolkits such as openFrameworks to interpret real-time spatial data to endless amounts of actions • Adaptability; we didn’t want to limit ourselves to the body as the input (e.g. hand-tracking, skeleton-tracking) so we decided on depth tracking which allows for multiple performers and/or objects as input • Affordability; we selected the Kinect v1(USD 10 in 2025[6]) over cameras such as Intel Realsense (USD 272-499 in 2025[8]) for cost-efficiency to allow for multi-camera installations to run concurrently. In addition, the cost affords a freedom for “hardware hacking”[5] should the urge arise. • Accessibility; to both composer, regardless of technical ability and performer/s, regardless of musical knowledge SIF is an effort to support the multilayered creative and technical contexts involved with building new instruments by aligning with an infra-instrument tenet of the building with the “deployment of few sensors”[4]. However, the framework is not solely focused on the technology itself, but fostering artistic and educational opportunities and communities for creating New Interfaces for Musical Expression (NIMEs). Its dual performance modes — Machine Mode, in which the instruments autonomously perform preprogrammed compositions, and Human Mode, where audience interaction shapes the sonic output—reflect the evolving and reciprocal interactions between users, instruments, and environments.

Glass reimagines hand-blown glass percussion objects, drawing on Grainger’s experiments with “musical glasses”(Fig. 3, left). The sampling of a unique and historically important glass instrument collection and incorporation within the Spatial Instrument Framework enables new forms of engagement. For composers/performers or lay audience alike, movements trigger sonic explorations of the unique tonal and textural qualities of these fragile instruments, overcoming their inherent fragility through innovative sampling and interaction.

Fans repurposes computer fans into a matrix of sonic possibilities. Audience engagement with the fans generates and modulates electromagnetic frequencies, creating an immersive interplay of acoustic, electro-acoustic, and virtual sound layers. Together, these installations highlight the entangled dynamics of interaction, materiality, and sound, embodying a creative dialogue that spans technology, heritage, and experimentation. By providing accessible frameworks for participatory engagement, SIF bridges the gap between professional and public music-making, fostering deeper connections between musicians, audiences, and the evolving possibilities of new technology.