Rooms of Elements

by Paola Livorsi

Description

Rooms of Elements (2006) is a set of three electronic sounds especially conceived for the Nordic textile art exhibition « 1 : ∞», which took place in Helsinki (gallery Forum Box, Nov 2006), Trondheim (Konstmuseum, Feb 2007) and Reykjavik (ASI Museum, May 2007).

The philosophical issue involved in the title, to speak the truth a quite scaring question, made me turn rather to our world than to any metaphysical reality. Sometimes reality may be closer to poetry than pure imagination. Human beings can experience infinite when in contact with nature.

Natural sounds have been worked out with a program, Modalys, which simulate surfaces made of different materials (different kind of metal, wood, skin and so on). Further ideas came from the collaboration with Kristiina Wiherheimo and Agneta Hobin : in Fiery are present recordings of silk cloths and little glass objects, from Kristiina’s materials ; in Watery the elements used are mostly mica, steel and bronze, from Agneta’s works. Earthly has been inspired by the warm, natural fibres and colours of Marianne Mannsåker’s works : there appears also the fourth element, air, and human voices (from Eskimo’s throat riddles). Human beings are bridges between earth and air.

The relation with space has been central in this work: the quadraphonic sounds were played through three Dvds each located in a different room. Each Dvd uses a different combination of the basic sounds, according to the main element of the room (water, fire, earth/air).

The work was realised at CM&T (Center for Music & Technology, Sibelius Academy Helsinki).

© Paola Livorsi

Instrumentation

electronics

Category

Electro-acoustic Works

Premiere

"Yhden suhde äärettömään" exhibition (Gudrún Gunnarsdóttir, Anna Dóra Karlsdóttir, Marianne Mannsåker, Agneta Hobin and Kristiina Wiherheimo), Forum Box gallery, Helsinki, November 2, 2006.

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