Negotiating Entanglements in the Composition and Curation of an Ultrasonic Art Installation

Nicole Robson; Andrew McPherson; Nick Bryan-Kinns

Image credit: Nicole Robson; Andrew McPherson; Nick Bryan-Kinns

• Format: oral
• Session: papers-7
• Paper PDF link
• Presence: in person
• Duration: 15
• Type: long

Abstract:

This paper explores the entangled activities of composing and curating the sound installation ‘Sonographies’ at a contemporary art gallery. The installation extends our work with an ultrasonic technology that sonifies and magnifies the physical entanglement of a listener with a spatial sound field to produce rich movement-sound interaction without the use of sensors. Taking a research through practice approach, we examine the process of creating ‘Sonographies’ while deliberately allowing the nonhuman influences of site and technology to inform creative ideation and decision-making. We propose that an attunement to entanglement foregrounds the co-production of aesthetic qualities by the entire musical assemblage and fosters a sensitivity to fragile and changeable qualities of NIMEs, contingent on specific technical, material and social situations.