Nicolaas Glock

Science influenced contemporary art and musical composition in many different facets, while the artistic presentation has led to new social and cultural perceptions about science[1]. Varese was inspired by processes like crystal growth, while Xenakis based his music on stochastic events. As a transdisciplinary artistic research project we propose to create an audiovisual installation based on projections about the future ocean focusing on sea level rise. Within the context of the “Wissenschaftsjahr der Ozeane 2016/17” this project acts within a good time frame for public debate. The sonic part of the installation will be based on concrete recorded sounds from the ocean and, respectively, oceanic research. These sounds will be used for asymmetric granular synthesis and other modular sound manipulations to create an abstract spatial soundscape. The whole project will be implemented in two parts: 1.: Development and presentation in the wave field synthesis laboratory at the centre for microtonal music and multimedia in Hamburg (Hochschule für Musik und Theater) and 2.: The creation of a new audio-visual installation in Kiel. Wave field synthesis can create virtual sound sources by producing wave fronts synthesized by a large number of individually controlled loud speakers. These virtual sound sources are independent from the position of the listener, e.g. a listener can walk around or through a virtual sound source. Sea level rise will be simulated by gradual filling of the room with “soundgrains” using granular synthesis, resulting in a gradual sound immersion of the recipient. Ocean acidification might be simulated by representing H3O+ ions with “soundgrains” which are stochastically distributed within the room and raise their concentration according to predicted future pH changes. Temperature changes might be represented by changes in pitch and spatial velocity of the sounds. After the realization of the project and presentation in the wave field synthesis lab the sonic part will be compiled to an installation in Kiel which will create a spatial sound field by the distribution of several loud speakers, using concrete instead of virtual sound sources. The visual part of the installation will support the soundscape and be created by the Muthesius Academy of Arts under supervision of Prof. Tom Duscher. With the use of projection mapping and sensors visual representations of the data will be projected into the special installation. While the visitor enters the installation the projection and sound will react to his movement. The presence of the visitor will interact with the environment as a metaphor of the real life relationship between men and nature. Visual elements can include maps of sea-level rise scenarios at different temporal and spatial scales photographs or movies of ice-sheet melting or graphs and maps of coastal population distribution and its responses to changing sea levels.