November 08, 2005
digital rattles
sound/image=binary algorithms
digital rattles covers works from south american artists -an argentinean, member of the brazilian group influenza and a colombian resident in spain and a spaniard who belongs to the london group ix software. they all coincide in one thing, developing what it is now called soundtoys, which are, plainly speaking, sound and visual based objects for navigators to play with. it could be said that they are sound games, but the suggestive word 'rattle' would describe it even
better.
the digital rattle is a tool that shows very clearly how pointless it is to differentiate between sounds or images that are codified. both are represented by binary algorithms, a single line of ones and zeros. this shared identity and its impossible separation, allows artists to work with images and/or sounds. in fact some modern sound editors (and here i mean the software) have a strong visual content which facilitates professional and amateur composers with little computer knowledge, edit music without problems. it is the undefined nature of the binary sequences that makes all this possible. their design may switch on sounds, static or moving images or even the introduction of this catalogue.
in this sense, the sound-games are very interesting digital objects. they show the hybrid nature of the internet's art -and in the same way code.art. they prove that its crossbred condition can result in anything. with the digital rattles, particularly, the player stops being a mere navigator to become a modest composer of small ephemeral sound pieces.
a sample of the developments in web.art or software.art can be found in this exhibition. digital rattles can be executed without actually being connected to the net as in the case of lore (transformation l) by enrike hurtado and pegajoso by santiago ortiz.
with map by rafael marchetti, produced for influenza, has been developed under the metaphorical idea of simulating the surfing of the net to a fly over a topographic plane with several stops. the user may choose to land on a station and move a rattle, or continue flying over the surface in a way that depending on whether it is touched or not, sounds or not. moved by the desire to reach port it may stop and in doing so, fill the journey with a background rattling. thus, one produces a double enjoyment, landing and flying.
pegajoso by santiago ortiz reproduces a small rattle that turns on itself automatically but allows user interaction by a simple movement of the mouse. just like baby rattles themselves, pegajoso doesn't require much talent, and it can be handled by anyone. in this case, a nucleus is moving around a cube blindly with no reference, generating sound by simply crashing against the frame.
enrike hurtado together with ixi software, shows a work without internet connection, lore (transformation l) easy to navigate. it maintains a constant background hum that the prosumer -the consumer who thinks of himself as a semi-professional- can modify easily by selecting other frequencies on the computer screen. far off from other works, much closer to the logical editing of sound and its results, lore avoids altogether the hurdle of recording the user's composition, sticks itself to the making of sounds. anyone with a certain air of permanence but with a ephemeral spirit will enjoy it.
an exhibition that hopes to incite the game of sound editing, through visual interfaces that can be tickled by anyone.
artworks by enrike hurtado, rafael marchetti and santiago ortiz; curated by nilo casares; technical assistance-fotonoviembre 2005; organizing-fotonoviembre 2005; catalog text-nilo casares.
opening::[20h00m/08.11.2005] schedule::[08.11.2005)(15.12.2005] monday till friday::[11h00m a 13h00m)(18h00m a 21h00m] saturday::[11h00m a 13h00m)(18h00m a 20h00m].
place::círculo de bellas artes, de santa cruz de tenerife, castillo::45.34 922246496
rafael marchetti studied fine arts in buenos aires and has been studying programming since 1989 and web design since 1996. he has gained the third prize in the digital art category for the sergio motta cultural award at sao paulo, brazil and first prize in the sculpture category at the 3rd salon in buenos aires, argentina. in 2001 raquel rennó and rafael marchetti started their art experimentation and research on the digital medium called 'influenza', whose works were exhibited in galleries and art festivals throughout south america and europe influenza's last work, non_sensor was developed in 2004/2005 with the help of unesco and the institute cyprès-pratiques artistiques and sciences cognitives, run by professor louis bec.
santiago ortiz is an artist, mathematician and researcher for arts, science and space representation. he explores the building of common spaces for the different areas of knowledge. he also handles communication techniques, creativity, expression and representation where it is combined narrative and literature, digital space, space in architecture and expository space. he runs seminars and workshops in spain, portugal and south america. co-founder of blank, an art and digital culture magazine. it is part of the research and development team of medialabmadrid. he lives and works in cabo verde and madrid.
enrike hurtado mendieta: since 2001, enrike hurtado mendieta and thor magnusson have worked on ixi, an independent research project that explores the new ways of interacting with experimental electronic music. ixi has focused his research mainly on the development of music software and physical interfaces. the project has received some awards and has been apart of international festivals and conferences. the project's results can be found in their software package which can be down loaded completely free from their web and also in their teaching and personal work.
Posted by jo at November 8, 2005 08:55 AM
