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END OF SEMESTER REFLECTION

by auguste nomeikaite

I think that learning about Brenda Hutchinson’s and Bertoia Sonambient’s unorthodox, self-discovered musical instruments was an extremely nice way to end the semester. I felt like it reinforced the biggest lesson I ended up taking away from this class: art does not have to be solemn to be meaningful. More than anything, this semester and the Sound Art class has encouraged me to embrace playfulness in art - whether it was the silly test recordings I did asking friends to sing into a tube, or the performance recordings we have watched as a class. I found it so fascinating how artists like Christian Marclay, Ben Patterson or even Tarek Atoui could so confidently perform pieces which looked more like a child’s game than an “artist’s” craft, while still conveying and putting forward meaningful and politicized messages. I loved the brief bit in Hutchinson’s YouTube video where she recalls the numerous comments she got from people - all along the lines of “My kid could do that!” - and her being so affirmative of that simplicity, saying “I like that!”

Another idea I found myself constantly grappling with this semester was the relationship between visuals and sound, which was one of the main reasons for why I took this class in the first place. I am majoring in film, which is a medium based on the marriage of the two - yet so often I see visuals being prioritized over sound, especially in student work. Interestingly, while the past 14 weeks definitely forced me to consider the sonic before the haptic, I also realized that the two are inseparable, much the same way that our senses are biologically wired to be connected. Whatever the piece, there always is a visual aspect, which might sometimes be clearly absent - like in Max Neuhaus’ pieces, for example - and that carries its own weight. The most important takeaway in this respect was probably the idea that visuals and sound, though connected, do not always have to be in harmony. Neuhaus’ installation at Times Square is such a quiet, peaceful rebellion to all the visuals, all the bustling environment that it is set in. And so, even though the piece has nothing visual about it by itself, it alters the space it is set in, including the visuals - Neuhaus himself is cited in Alex Potts’ essay, saying “I use sound to change the way we perceive a space.” To me, it was a powerful reminder that sound will always create an extra layer of meaning, and that instead of simply “accompanying” visuals, it can be used to charge or challenge them.

This leads me to the politics of sound, which was another idea that deeply affected me. Obviously, I have always been aware of the political power of art, however, when it came to anything audiovisual, I constantly found myself focusing on the haptic aspects as the main political vessel. This class made me reconsider that, and it is very closely related to this sense of “altering space through sound” that Neuhaus talked about. Besides that, I have also been forced to reflect on the ethics of sound, together with its politics. It first struck me during our discussion of Vito Acconci’s “Seedbed,” where I first saw how powerful - and powerfully problematic - sound may be. A different way of seeing it was through the analysis of Fluxus, their mission of democratizing art, the libertarian approach to their “Happenings” and how specifically that was communicated through sound.

Finally, I want to come back to the idea of playfulness in art. What this class made me seriously reconsider was the very notion of sound, and sound-making objects. In some sense, riding that same democratic wave of thought, anything can be turned into an instrument. I remember how at the very beginning of the semester one of the readings introduced Joseph Bertollozi’s “Bridge Music,” and that seemed like such an unusual way of thinking about music or sound art to me. Now it was not just an object that made sound - it was a huge man-made structure with an urban function that too, in its own way, produced sound. However, perhaps the most mind-bending approach to non-instrumental sound for me was Alvin Lucier’s “I Am Sitting in a Room”. Just like the permanent presence of visuals, this piece made me consider the constant presence of sound, which, in its own right, is also sound art.

[pinksound]

Minority Within A Minority by Maha and Maitha

Process: 

Our sketch for the installation: 

We decided to put in our school that we got the “letter” from to showcase them the true message about being half Emirati. 

We want to represent all the different countries half Emiratis identify as, therefore we added the flags but also to add a colorful and surprising touch. 

[pinksound]

Resonance Week 14 Reading  Maitha Al Qemzi

Reading Steven Connor’s essay on resonance and watching the work of Brenda Hutchinson, I have developed a new perspective of resonance. I didn’t understand the importance of resonance until Connor mentioned something as simple as  

“but a bell, like any instrument that has a resonating chamber, must first internally resound, before it can sound itself out, out loud.” Resonance has a significant role in how space is perceived and in some way it conveys a story. When sound and space interact with each other, they can make several unique noises depending on the volume, size, shape etc. One can also see the importance of resonance in an individual’s recorded voice. Connor mentioned that in this case resonance in itself a kind of “incipient selfhood, selfhood is a reflux of resonance” it reflects one’s individual and unique voice or reflects it’s “ego” into an “echo” I also found Hutchinson’s work really interesting because I have never imagined what unique sounds can come out of a tube but also how she explained that the notes from one voice and the the not sleeping inside the instruments had been awoken at the same moment which made me wonder does resonance transform simple objects into artworks? If one tries to recreate Hutchinson’s work it will be totally unique as Conner stated - a reflection of selfhood.  

Maitha Al Qemzi 

[pinksound]

Notes on Resound and Public Art Intervention presentation

Notes on Steven Connor’s article: Resound 

- The concept of resound is very interesting yet confusing. This might be because it is the first time it was introduced to me. When I read through the article, I would try to imagine then understand the concept he is talking about but it was really difficult to try to understand without hearing them with my ears.   

- In the beginning when i saw the word “resound” , I thought it is purely conceptual idea that is used in artistic terms. I was surprised to see the science behind it as it says for example, “a skinned lizard usurping the place of the full-bodied phantasmal organism that ordinarily occupies our heads, amplified and fattened by the bones of the skull.”

- A concept that I found really interesting: “A note plucked on one lute will cause another unplucked lute in the vicinity to thrill faintly in sympathy. Sing into an open piano and certain strings will give back buzzing assent to your voice. Resonance is therefore to be understood, not as  conduction, but induction, not as effect, but as affinity.” This paragraph reminds me of the times when i play guitar in a music room with a drum kit. As my volume goes up, the snare drum would give back buzzing sounds. I would have never thought that it was a part of resonance of the environment. 

Notes on Tonisha’s presentation on Public Art Intervention 

- First of all, the video and presentation was really well done and the information was clear and diverse. 

- I really liked some of the examples of public art intervention that she gave such as “Non-Violence”. It was a powerful piece :’)

- I am glad that she included public art intervention for social justice because I didn’t know much about this area. 

[pinksound]

Reading Responses (catchup)

Note:

Word of Mouth: Christof Migone’s Little Manias presented some very philosophical ideas on language. It touched upon finding identity and losing identity. I find the concept “The whole is a hole inside of which individuality if formed” very interesting. Language is so intact to our “self”. As a child, as we learn our first words, we slowly form our individuality and our connection to our society. Language in a sense allow us to be unique individuals as we are able to express ourselves in our own unique way. In the same time, language takes away our individuality because under the same system of speech, we become limited to our expressions and unified.

Note:

Reading Sophie Stevance’s work really made me think about the credibility and originality of creating art using ready made. I believe every art showcases the Artist’s creativity to the audience. Any piece of work can be recognized as art from the audience when they see creativity input in them. The problem for ready made may be that because they are usually familiar objects from our daily life, it is more difficult for the audience to spot creativity in the work. Hence the hard part of creating art using ready made is how can one dig into the unexpected manipulation and usage of the object to spark creativity and make the audience question the definition of the object. I think ready made art can be as credible as originally made art when one is able to let the audience see the creative inputs within the ready made work.

Note:

One thing that I really like about Neuhaus’s works as I read through Alex Pott’s Moment and Place is that as Neuhaus “envisioned his work as impinging on everyday experience… and integrate with everyday life.” Many of his works does not stand out and would easily be ignored if one doest pay attention to the aural environment. Especially in today’s society, so many people are wearing headphones or earphones as they walk on the streets. “Listening to the voice of the city” has became the unusual for an impetuous generation now. And it is in these times, in my opinion that shows the importance and significance of Neuhaus’s art because they encourage us to “live in the moment” and pay attention to the art that exists in our daily life.

Note:

In Seeing, hearing: Fluxus, I see how Cage approaches sound art as a very inclusive concept that can be found in everyday life and our human body. I find it very interesting in how his “Spanish Card Piece For Objects” performance piece puts the “intentions” behind people’s gestures, actions in daily life into theatrical context. He mentioned that when people walk down the streets, everyone is moving with intentions. The intention can be the direction in which people are walking towards, the gestures they are making with their body, the expressions on their faces, their outfit, the sound… etc. It is a very interesting concept that made me think and see more about human behavior.  Also, it is very interesting to me in how he uses the cards and instructions as a “tool’ to observe people’s subconscious decision in their voice.

Note:

Reading through Brandon’s I am Sitting in a Room, I find the idea of “voice being in control and out of control” very interesting. He mentioned, “voice reveals agency in the words spoken, which from commands, pleas, and invitation, and, in return, it dissolves agency” I is very interesting to me that how rarely we think about how our voice manipulates our voice and hence our agency even though we use it everyday. But how can our voice go out of control? How hard is it to control your voice? I thought manipulating out voice was easy hence questions arise from my mind. However, when I read through the passage, I realized I was wrong. Later in the passage when Brandon mentions, “… leaving the speaker depleted, helpless, and unable to conjure words so as to enter conversation and the power plays of voicing…” I reflected on my own experience when I struggle articulate myself and gets really “helpless” and even frustrated about myself. It happens almost everyday actually. We are not in full control of our voice. There are always a big part of it that is out of control.

[pinksound]

Baltimore is at 100+ homicides since the year has started, with last year ending in 348 homicidal deaths. Baltimore Ceasefire is a movement with a vision of Baltimore to commit zero murders. They do so by calling quarterly ceasefire weekends, with hopes of residents appreciating and celebrating life during these times, which are: 1st weekend of the month in February, August, and November, and, specifically, Mother’s Day weekend. Despite this past weekend being the Baltimore Ceasefire, the city has faced 2 homicides in this specific time frame. And before that, May 1st to May 8th, Baltimore has seen 15 killings, all during a pandemic and a stay-at-home order. I want the audience of my project to understand that while in a pandemic, trying to stay alive, people in the community that I am temporarily residing in are losing their lives, and it isn’t due to complications with COVID-19. People are in the dark about the tribulations of quarantine in a disadvantaged, predominately African American, low income community.

I want my installation to be in an all white boxed setting, kind of like the Cube or a traditional gallery setting, however it has to be closed off completely. A door is an exception, of course to let people in, but it has to be able to close to achieve darkness. There can be a small window, or a small cut out of the wall to allow natural lighting, since this exhibition will not have any artificial lighting, The lighting from the window/cut out will be minimal, minimal enough for visitors to see the floor, which has X’s of where people stand— this will allude to social distancing measures, where only six people will be allowed in and have to stand on the X’s that are all six feet away from each other. The sound will be emitted through ceiling speakers, so that any ground or overhead speakers will not be in the way or distract viewers. I did consider having occasional flashing red and blue lights to allude to police sirens, but I want there to be no color, just the audience standing and listening to the delivery of the news and the sounds I’ve heard from my window. With the door closed, lights off, and designated places to stand, the visitors will be shut in for three minutes of their time, hearing the adversity that besets Baltimore, a city known for stadiums, tourist spots, and ‘distinct’ neighborhoods. If I had to have a specific demographic of audience that visits my installation, I would like to to be those with higher socioeconomic status than an individual living in East Baltimore, basically I’d especially want anyone who doesn’t live in the ghetto to experience just three minutes of what can be heard when stepping foot in this side of town, just to give a taste of how the other half lives.

Keep reading

[pinksound]

Graphic Score Process Blog

In my graphic score, I used materials and sounds that are accessible to me in an everyday matter. The graphic score consists of some human voices and some sounds created by taking a certain action. For example, when you stumble across the letters in my score you have to say it out loud in any tone you would like. And when you come across the objects, you have to perform something using them in order to get the sound. I decided to not put them in a specific order, however, the order was intentional and the placement of certain sounds after each other was decided intentionally. They would be sounds you wouldn’t normally hear them with each other, or you wouldn’t expect to hear flipping pages after a hairdryer. They might sound uneven but we might me surprised that sometimes this is how we go about our day playing different actions.

[pinksound]

Minorities Within A Minority

When my twin sister and I were 11 years old in middle school, the administration gave out paper slips to students specifically with foreign mothers. The slip written both in English and Arabic addressed that our foreign mothers should be aware of their duty to instill Emirati cultural values into their children and any actions that are not considered valued by the Emirati culture and that the student will face consequences. We noticed this slip was only given to our friends who just like us were half Emiratis and was not given to students with both Emirati parents as they assumed that un-valued actions are only executed by students with foreign mothers.

We were only 11 years old at that time, both my twin sister and I, and another fellow half Emirati half Indian classmate specifically remember that we were angry and aware that this piece of paper was written out of prejudiced thoughts and preconceived notions. Although we knew that our mothers have taught us well, many years later we now know why this slip caused anger within us, part of it was unfairness, because a certain minority group was blamed for actions we were not responsible for, but also this piece of paper downgraded and devalued the teachings and values of our “foreigner” mothers. Therefore, this podcast or sound installation is here to project the hidden voices of half Emiratis who like us have faced many other situations when we felt downgraded due to our ethnicities. Also through this project, we would like to shed light on our experiences of being half Emirati, and what it means for us to be half Emirati. This podcast represents 11 half Emiratis negative and positive experience in being half Emirati in a society that values socially constructed ideas such as “pureness” and “tribalism”. We asked our participants five questions which include: what does being half Emirati mean to you? Have you ever felt like you didn’t belong to either of your ethnicities? If yes, can you tell me an example of that experience and how you felt? What was your experience being half Emirati like in school? Either middle school, high school, or college can give me an example? Have you ever felt like you needed to hide one of your ethnicities? If yes how so? Can you give me an example? What’s the one thing you would like to tell people about being half Emirati?

Through this project, we would like to give half Emirates who are a minority within a minority in the UAE a platform to voice out both their negative and positive opinions on being half Emirati. By listening to the podcast using headphones, the audience member will have an intimate experience with the half Emirati individual. Also, while entering the installation space, the audience will witness how diverse the half Emirati community is when looking at the flags 10 flags that are hanging on the ceiling.  

When my twin sister and I were 11 years old in middle school, the administration gave out paper slips to students specifically with foreign mothers. The slip written both in English and Arabic addressed that our foreign mothers should be aware of their duty to instill Emirati cultural values into their children and any actions that are not considered valued by the Emirati culture and that the student will face consequences. We noticed this slip was only given to our friends who just like us were half Emiratis and was not given to students with both Emirati parents as they assumed that un-valued actions are only executed by students with foreign mothers.

We were only 11 years old at that time, both my twin sister and I, and another fellow half Emirati half Indian classmate specifically remember that we were angry and aware that this piece of paper was written out of prejudiced thoughts and preconceived notions. Although we knew that our mothers have taught us well, many years later we now know why this slip caused anger within us, part of it was unfairness, because a certain minority group was blamed for actions we were not responsible for, but also this piece of paper downgraded and devalued the teachings and values of our “foreigner” mothers. Therefore, this podcast or sound installation is here to project the hidden voices of half Emiratis who like us have faced many other situations when we felt downgraded due to our ethnicities. Also through this project, we would like to shed light on our experiences of being half Emirati, and what it means for us to be half Emirati. This podcast represents 11 half Emiratis negative and positive experience in being half Emirati in a society that values socially constructed ideas such as “pureness” and “tribalism”. We asked our participants five questions which include: what does being half Emirati mean to you? Have you ever felt like you didn’t belong to either of your ethnicities? If yes, can you tell me an example of that experience and how you felt? What was your experience being half Emirati like in school? Either middle school, high school, or college can give me an example? Have you ever felt like you needed to hide one of your ethnicities? If yes how so? Can you give me an example? What’s the one thing you would like to tell people about being half Emirati?

Through this project, we would like to give half Emirates who are a minority within a minority in the UAE a platform to voice out both their negative and positive opinions on being half Emirati. By listening to the podcast using headphones, the audience member will have an intimate experience with the half Emirati individual. Also, while entering the installation space, the audience will witness how diverse the half Emirati community is when looking at the flags 10 flags that are hanging on the ceiling.  

[pinksound]

INNER SOUNDSCAPES

By Auguste Nomeikaite

For my final project I decided to look into the sounds - or the soundscapes - that people find themselves clinging onto during these quiet times. It all started off with a conversation I had with a friend, during which we began fantasizing about all the places we will finally be able to visit again when the current restrictions are lifted. The progress sketches that you’ll find a few posts below explain the thought process a bit better. I interviewed 15 people in total - family, friends, their families too - and chose 10 answers for the final installation, which I felt captured the variety of these soundscapes best. For the sound tracks themselves I used Aporee - I used it to search for recordings which most closely resembled sounds from the different places that my friends mentioned. For example, one person said they were longing for a specific park in their hometown in Ukraine. Through Aporee, I managed to find a recording from that exact park. Below is my artist statement which explains the idea in a bit more detail.

Here is the floor plan/a sketch of the “domes” that make up my installation

And here is a virtual version of the installation itself!

INNER SOUNDSCAPES: https://www.thinglink.com/card/1316268678227951619

Hope you enjoy! Will present a bit more material during my presentation tomorrow.

[pinksound]

Baltimore is at 100+ homicides since the year has started, with last year ending in 348 homicidal deaths. Baltimore Ceasefire is a movement with a vision of Baltimore to commit zero murders. They do so by calling quarterly ceasefire weekends, with hopes of residents appreciating and celebrating life during these times, which are: 1st weekend of the month in February, August, and November, and, specifically, Mother’s Day weekend. Despite this past weekend being the Baltimore Ceasefire, the city has faced 2 homicides in this specific time frame. And before that, May 1st to May 8th, Baltimore has seen 15 killings, all during a pandemic and a stay-at-home order. I want the audience of my project to understand that while in a pandemic, trying to stay alive, people in the community that I am temporarily residing in are losing their lives, and it isn’t due to complications with COVID-19. People are in the dark about the tribulations of quarantine in a disadvantaged, predominately African American, low income community.

I want my installation to be in an all white boxed setting, kind of like the Cube or a traditional gallery setting, however it has to be closed off completely. A door is an exception, of course to let people in, but it has to be able to close to achieve darkness. There can be a small window, or a small cut out of the wall to allow natural lighting, since this exhibition will not have any artificial lighting, The lighting from the window/cut out will be minimal, minimal enough for visitors to see the floor, which has X’s of where people stand— this will allude to social distancing measures, where only six people will be allowed in and have to stand on the X’s that are all six feet away from each other. The sound will be emitted through ceiling speakers, so that any ground or overhead speakers will not be in the way or distract viewers. I did consider having occasional flashing red and blue lights to allude to police sirens, but I want there to be no color, just the audience standing and listening to the delivery of the news and the sounds I’ve heard from my window. With the door closed, lights off, and designated places to stand, the visitors will be shut in for three minutes of their time, hearing the adversity that besets Baltimore, a city known for stadiums, tourist spots, and ‘distinct’ neighborhoods. If I had to have a specific demographic of audience that visits my installation, I would like to to be those with higher socioeconomic status than an individual living in East Baltimore, basically I’d especially want anyone who doesn’t live in the ghetto to experience just three minutes of what can be heard when stepping foot in this side of town, just to give a taste of how the other half lives.

My sketches and thought process are down below :) 

Here is the link to my Installation folder

There’s also some links to get informed if you’re interested in what I am experiencing during this mandated quarantine.

'Murder epidemic’: Fatal shooting Sunday afternoon in East Baltimore is city’s second homicide during Ceasefire weekend

Baltimore homicides pass the 100 mark as violence spikes heading into Ceasefire weekend

I hope finals go well for you all :) 

[pinksound]

Sound Installation -  A heartbeat, a Life

By Mouza Alzaabi

Process - 

This is the process of my sound installation with the ideas I initially had. Of course, a lot of things changed and that is the beauty of the process. When you're done, you look back at what you started with and see how much your idea has developed and changed to become the way it is.

This sound installation was really fun to do, it was something I managed to do by including everyone in my family and it was a way to have fun and distract ourselves from what was going on outside. 

Artist Statement - 

In this final project and installation, I thought about the most meaningful thing to do, considering the situation with COVID-19. I wanted to come up with something that included my family, where it would be a fun experience that everyone enjoyed. While planning for this installation, I kept thinking to myself, what is essential to a human? Logically, I assumed it would be to have a pulse, a heartbeat because it was an indication of someone being alive. Initially, I wanted to create something that resembles life, which to me meant a loving house. However, since this installation was a specific experience that only my family got to go through, I wanted it to be personal. An experience specifically tailored to my family.

When I began directing my siblings, which was not an easy task at all, yet extremely fun, nonetheless. I decided to surprise them with the ending. I wrapped the stairs with cotton wool and led them to our living area, where we spent most of our time; it was a place filled with lovely memories and many stories to tell. Each one of my siblings held one end with a surprise at the other end. I merely asked them to follow the string of wool which represented the veins that pump the blood to the heart until the very end, with little directions I was able to capture their initial instinct from the way they would pick up the thread to their reaction when they would see my mom at the end.

I did not expect much from them since they see my mom at home regularly because of the quarantine, and I knew how each one of them acts every time they saw my mother, and my younger brother did not disappoint. The moment he saw my mom, he went up to her, kissed her head, and hugged her. I did not direct him to do anything; it was all out of instinct and was natural. My two sisters did not react much, and I expected that from them as they were on their usual behavior without faking anything.

Afterward, I asked them about the meaning of a heartbeat and what this experience meant to them. I did not have high expectations for their replies as they usually do not give much thought to things in general. I did not want to pressure them into giving me specific answers. The main thing about this experience is to keep it as natural as possible without my interference whatsoever. However, considering that I knew my family very well, I had certain expectations for their answers, which fell right into place.

Overall, regardless of their reactions, this experience drew a smile on everyone’s faces and caused laughter to echo in the house, which also brought back life into the house. This was the change in routine and the reminder that my family needed to realize that regardless of what was happening outside, we are still blessed to have one another.

[pinksound]

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A Memory

By Amna AlShamsi

This is the final video! Please make sure to read the meaning behind it that I included below before watching it.

[pinksound]

Sound Installation - A Memory

By Amna AlShamsi

Hi! I really enjoyed my overall process with this final project and something that is close to the heart. I would like to first start off by showing you the process of my final project and the meaning behind it as it is a very significant part of my final project.

PROCESS

This sketch answers the five questions asked by the professor but also a layout of my room and where each memory is placed. Along the way, my idea slightly changed but the overall idea was to allow you, my audience, to enter a space, a personal space, and feel something. However, I thought of the question of “why my bedroom”? Answering that, I decided to showcase very special memories that I cherish that are placed around my room. This could either be in a literal or figurative sense. Every memory comes with a sound. This could be a sound of a memory I associate it with, or the actual sound of the object. 

MEANING

With this installation project, I thought of the concept of aural architecture inspired by our lectures on sound installation. Aural architecture allows for a certain feeling when you enter a space: a feeling of discomfort that is also a very personal sense. I wanted to create that with my sound installation. For that, I thought of creating something very personal and named it “A Memory”. This was not “created”, as everything was already in place before I thought of making it my installation. However, telling the story behind it allows for that sense of creating a space. The way it was captured is the way I would like my audience to see it and feel in this space. Therefore, I would like to explain the story behind my sound installation project.

While space is significant, the sound makes space and allows people to understand a space better. With “A Memory”, I decided to show my audience what I heard and felt with some objects placed in my bedroom, which is my personal space. I have a total of six memories in the video I created that gives a tour of the room. The video goes to six different corners of my room; the closer it gets to the objects, the louder the memory would get. The first memory is of my school graduation in 2017. It was one of my greatest accomplishments to graduate from one of the hardest schools in the UAE with a top grade. I struggled with exams every day in that school, but it was all worth it in the end. Graduation was a day when I had everyone proud of me, from family to friends to strangers. The second memory is a rack of clothes I keep outside whenever the holy month of Ramadan occurs. It has the colorful, traditional clothing that we usually wear. These are specially tailored before the month of Ramadan. For that, I had a relative speak in Arabic. She was asking how Ramadan is and how the preparation was going, asking if the dresses I tailored were ready.

The third memory is a portrait of me from when I was around age three. For almost half my life, I lived abroad as my father was an ambassador of the United Arab Emirates. Therefore, we moved a lot when I was young, from Switzerland to Egypt to Pakistan. However, I spent the majority of my childhood—eight years—in Pakistan. This picture represents the life I lived, as I wore the traditional fancy wear of Pakistani women. Unfortunately, I had no sound that would take me back there. So, I went on Aporee and explored. I found a sound of a traditional wedding, where people were singing, dancing and laughing. This happy sound reminded me of my very happy childhood there.The fourth memory shows makeup. Some might ask how makeup is a memory. To me, it is the same makeup I always used, but throughout the years, it changed. The same products and colors, but how I applied it changed as I grew older. To me, this shows growth and change over the years.

The fifth memory is a special one. As the video shows, I put four specific perfumes up front. Scents are very special to me, as they hold a lot of meaning. The black bottle is a perfume I used throughout my years in high school. This scent represented me back then; people would know I am in that space from just that scent. They would always say, “I smell Amna, is she here?” The pink one is me today. This scent represents me today as opposed to me in high school. The scents are very different from one another; one is a strong oud-vanilla smell, while the pink is very floral and feminine. The red and black bottle is one that is close to my heart. It is a scent I cherish, as it reminds me of my cousin who passed away in 2019. This scent represents her since she was very young. The other transparent perfume bottle reminds of my paternal grandmother. She lives in Al Ain, and this scent has become my favorite, as I would smell it in the warmth of her hugs.

The last memory is also a very special one for me. My father is my favorite person in the world; he is my role-model and also my greatest supporter. When we moved back to Abu Dhabi in 2008, he continued his duty as an ambassador as he moved to Jordan. He would still visit us as often as he could, and we would visit him, too. Today, even with different jobs, he still has to travel frequently. Therefore, since I was very young and until now, I always wait for the sound of his car parking, and, knowing that he has arrived, I run down to see him.

Overall, I cherish each and every one of these memories as they are very personal to me. By sharing this with an audience through sounds and visual representation, I hope that it captures that feeling for them as well.

After reading this, please watch the video.

Enjoy!

[pinksound]

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Hi everyone! This is my final presentation ^^ It is an introspective project focused on my own fantasy and imagination of the outer space and stars. I imagine the stars to be alive. Each and one of them have distinctive looks and characteristics… Most importantly, they produce different sound. The goal of this project is to realize my imagination of what the stars would sound like.  

PROCESS 

First, I designed the visuals of the star. For some stars, I took the inspiration of jellyfishes; for some, it was from rocks…  I tried to keep the designs away from the usual image of stars. 

I used my guitar to record a sound track that was playing in the background of the video. I used audacity to edit the tracks and used reverb, reverse, and delays..etc to create a spacey feel. 

After using procreate to animate the stars, I edit them together and projected it onto a larger screen.  

Then, I improv the notes and chords on the guitar according to the visuals. But this wasn’t the end of my project!!

Last step: I cut out some of the clips of the performance and drew over the film frame by frame to make the stars “pop out” from the tv. 

Finally, I presented to my family. Though it wasn’t live, it was really fun to surprise my parents with the animation. My parents were very confused and were like “wait why did the thing came out??” XD 

(Yayyy we made it! It was a fun semester with you all)

THE END

[pinksound]

Alex Potts - Moment and Place: Art in the Arena of Everyday

By Mouza Alzaabi

In the article, Potts explores the ways art can be embedded in the everyday life of both the artists and the listener-viewer work of art through the case of Max Neuhaus's sound installation. Art can be used to describe the everyday life of people and how art is a large part of everyday life, occupying both moment and space. In the article, moment refers to time, and how strategically positioning art in a specific time can create a particular effect and reflection on one's life. Another topic described in the article is the aspect of space. In his context, the author identifies that Max Neuhaus used sound to "change one's apprehension of the space it occupies" (46).

Generally, the author extensively covers the aspects of art in everyday life through moment and space. The article is given a lot of reliability in affecting change and facilitating practice as well as understanding of the main points discussed. From my perspective, this is the most significant part of the article in supporting the arguments and points made. Another interesting feature of the article is how Max Neuhaus describes the sound as a primary medium in the field of contemporary art.

Nevertheless, as Potts notes, one intriguing question is: "how does the listener perceive the sound, both as art and an expression of everyday activities?" This question is especially important because, according to Potts, in most cases, “Neuhaus suggested that he envisioned his work as impinging on everyday experience” (50). To gain an answer to this question, it would be best to experience the effect of the art in person. This is because, from the article, one factor that becomes imperatively clear: the installation of artworks that depict everyday life is site-specific. Lastly, to understand and appreciate the effect of art, especially arts that of the same caliber with those created by Neuhaus, requires a great deal of attentiveness and focus.

[pinksound]

SOUND ART INSTALLATION SKETCHES

Hi! Here are some of the initial sketches on my ideas for the final class project. I started off thinking about confinement and how I could capture this current lockdown sonically. At first I was thinking about all the people who left but were present just a few days ago, how day by day the campus falls more and more silent…

You can see some of my thought process in the sketches below, but to put it briefly, I eventually decided to focus on the soundscapes we are making up in our heads while in this quarantine. The other day a friend asked me what is the first place I want to go to after all this is over, and I realized that at this point thinking about the future/projecting my imagination onto it has become a way of coping with the mental pressure of this lockdown.

In my installation, I want to recreate soundscapes of places my friends are wishing they could visit but can’t because of the quarantine. The soundscapes will be played through individuals speakers bound by a dome that would isolate the sound so that one could only hear it while standing directly under the dome. There will be four speakers (so four soundscapes) in the same room - I want to address this collective dream of going back to normal that we have yet also capture how subjectively/personally we understand it.

[pinksound]

Response by Amna AlShamsi: Alex Potts - Moment and Place: Art in the Arena of Everyday

In Moment and Place: Art in the Arena of Everyday, Alex Potts explores how Max Neuhaus distinctively connects the separate arenas of art and music. His work maintains the visual, spatial, and tactile components of three-dimensional art. Potts alludes that Neuhaus wanted to create art that allowed people to engage their perceptions using sensory awareness. As a result, he differentiates his work from the antiform and conceptualist currents by incorporating formal and phenomenological features. Potts maintains that Neuhaus’ style enabled him to create projects that intensified the sensory awareness of the audience. His work embeds daily sensations of people in aesthetic art. Besides, the author explores the political theme inscribed in the free-engaging artwork. Neuhaus tends to highlight the charged political environment of the libertarian avant-garde without provoking conflicts. Potts maintains that the artist intended to allow his audience to engage with his work willingly in public arenas with heavy traffic.

Based on Potts’ analysis, Neuhaus achieves his objectives by defining the concepts of space and time. The author notes that the performer uses the ideas to differentiate his work from other artists. He also uses sound to change how people perceive space by allowing them to set their spatial arena through self-determination. He avoids the programmed setting that other creators used at the time to induce reactions from the audience instead of allowing a perceived response. Besides, Potts suggests that Neuhaus utilizes art to define a different perspective of life that is embedded in daily experiences. However, the artist tends to focus on the political dimension in which he expresses his desire to democratize and reconfigure the margin between art and life. Hence, Neuhaus challenges the artificiality and implausibility of sound effects in his artwork, enabling the audience to engage freely with daily aesthetic experiences.