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Waves
Shannon McMullen and Fabian Winkler
Waves is an interactive sound installation for public spaces that
encourages environmental reflection and social interaction in otherwise
rather anonymous urban sites, transforming them into meaningful places.
Originally proposed for urban wading pools in Toronto, Canada, the artwork
consists of specially modified buoys floating in small pools that enable
participants to make poetic and logical connections between water waves and
sound waves.
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Project Description
In our proposed project, buoys swaying on the water's surface will create
unique sound compositions generated by the energy of waves in a wading pool.
The pool's water surface in conjunction with the buoys, form an intuitive
interface for musical collaboration and experimentation, allowing
participants to work together in real time to create multi-channel sound
compositions. Each composition is unique as wading and splashing or
rocking influences the magnitude and frequency of waves in the pool.
Alternatively, when no intentional splashing occurs, the buoys will reflect
their environment by responding to the waves created by wind or through
silence when the water and air are calm.
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Technical Description
An accelerometer in each buoy measures the magnitude of waves through x-
and y-axis position changes caused by the rocking back and forth of the
buoy. The accelerometer's readings are then converted into sound waves by
a microcontroller. Finally, the microcontroller's output is amplified and
sent to a speaker integrated into the buoy. Each buoy plays an
electronically generated tone that is modulated by water waves and thus
reflects participants' movements of the water and/or buoy.
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Sonic Qualities
More specifically, the readings of the accelerometer are converted into
variables that contribute to the process of sound synthesis. These
variables influence a tone's pitch, tone shaping (filter types and
settings) and volume (attack, decay, sustain, release envelope).
Each resulting tone is synthesized in real-time. Distinctively
unfamiliar electronic sounds mix with familiar urban sounds such
as footsteps, car traffic, airplane noise, pigeons and cell phone
conversations to form unique and constantly changing sound compositions.
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Detailed Technical Overview
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Exhibitions
- P.Art.y (People, Art, Technology), Art Center Nabi, Seoul, South Korea, September, 2007.
- Shannon McMullen and Fabian Winkler: Kodak Moments Patti
and Rusty Rueff Galleries, Yue-Kong Pao Hall for the Visual and Performing
Arts, Purdue University, USA, September, 2007.
- Wade 2006, installation in public space, Toronto, Canada, July 2006.
- Kunst Computer Werke at ZKM and HfG Karlsruhe, Germany, May 2006.
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