Chloe – LookingOutwards 01
A Project That I Admire:
The Sound of Honda by Daito Manabe
I have always admired the work of the multimedia artist Daito Manabe–in fact, it was his works such as the music video he made with Nosaj Thing that all the more fueled my passion to pursue interactive art and this class. In this commission by Honda, Manabe helps viewers relive the historic moment of the Ayrton Senna setting the world’s fastest lap during the F1 Japanese Grand Prix Qualifying Rounds in 1989. A ghost-like reliving of the experience is enabled through LEDs dotted throughout the Suzuka Circuit, programmed with OpenFrameworks and a library of data from the blueprints of the circuit to the special telemetry system of the Senna.
Beyond the profound implications this has for the creation of experiences, the experience of history, and the experience of data, I also really admire the visceral feel of the project’s documentation, which all the more enhances the nostalgic notion of the project, as well as help Honda become become (somewhat) more personable with their customers.
A Project That Surprised Me:I
The Human Harp by Di Mainstone
http://www.humanharp.org/
The Human Harp is a convergence of art, music, dance and architecture, where the artist is ‘parasitic’-ally attached to a bridge via a special holster custom made with digital sensors that detect and measure the vibrations of suspension cables, with the sounds harvested and remixed by the artist’s movement. Essentially, the artist becomes one with the bridge in the creation of music.
I was surprised by direction it took, which was completely different from what I interpreted from the introductory titles and photos. At first I thought the installation actually involved something along the lines of plucking the suspension cables and creating an instrument out of it. However, upon exploring it it seems that it is actually a musical interface that remixes rather than creates sounds from scratch. I was also pleasantly surprised hearing the Mainstone explain her concept of synergy and bridges, which is a concept that I myself really identify with.
Given that the project is still fairly new, I look forward to seeing further developments on this project–especially if the artist were to bring it to Pittsburgh, the so-called City of Bridges.
A Project That Could Have Been Great, But Was Disappointing:
The Color Chaser by Yuri Suzuki
The Color Chaser is a cute little device that relies on miniature sensors that detect and follow a black line while translating any colored lines it sees and turning that data into sound. Users can create unique tracks for the device to run upon, providing a new way with which to create music.
Perhaps its because of the limitations of the data upon which this project functions, or the way that it was documented, but my disappointment mainly comes from two areas. 1) The sounds that are created from the machines seem limited, and the sounds have yet to have aesthetically pleasing quality to me. Although the project aims to generate richness off sometimes hectic drawings, the sense I get is that the drawings themselves feel like they have more harmony. 2) The designer in me is disappointed that I couldn’t get the possible implications and applications of the device, or the spirit with which it was made beyond just having fun and finding a new way to visualize music.
I realize my disappointments seem a bit low-level, but I have to admit that its difficult for me to be disappointed with new media projects because of my overwhelming admiration for them. And if they all get the publicity of being viral on such blogs and websites, in my opinion they have already exceeded a threshold/standard. And after all, the generation of happiness and entertainment can be in itself an already ‘worthy’ function.