Hannah K-Looking Outwards-11

This week for my Looking Outwards, I looked at John Wynne‘s untitled installation for 300 Speakers, Pianola, and Vacuum Cleaner. It was released September of 2011 and explores the boundaries between sound, space, and music. In terms of sounds, there are three elements: the sound of the space in which this installation occurred, the notes being played by the piano, and a computer-controlled soundtrack of synthetic sounds. These three elements are not synchronized, meaning that the track never repeats. The pianola in the exhibit has been modified to only play notes whose frequencies would best resonate in the space in which they are being played, so there was careful consideration about which notes would be played. This exhibit has been described as creating a sort of “epic, abstract 3-D opera in slow motion,” and I agree with that statement completely.

I found this installation to be particularly interesting because I think it demonstrates an intersection of sound and space. There is a strong visual element because there are so many speakers in the space that have been carefully and deliberately placed, but this visual element is only an addition since the purpose of this exhibit was about highlighting sound.