Sunday, 16 October 2011
Thursday, 13 October 2011
Welcome!
This blog has been set up by atelier | small, Tang Ling Nah and Zai Tang, as an online platform documenting the development of our collaborative public art installation, titled ||| Movement. Our work will be shown from 14th October – 4th November as part of Hub-to-Hub and Archifest 2011.
The chosen site for our work is the transitory space between the National Museum of Singapore and escalators leading to Stamford Green and Fort Canning, where the old National Library once stood.
The work itself is a site‐specific installation exploring the cycle of construction, deconstruction and renewal within the city. It comprises three zones―remembering, contemplating and transforming―reminiscent of three movements in a single musical composition. Sound recordings from the urban environment are transformed and fused with architectural elements made from construction waste to create a distinct aural‐spatial experience. The work encourages the public to slow down, stop and contemplate on the perpetual cycle of urban transformation through the act of listening.
Thank you
We'd like to extend our gratitude to the following people, who helped make our installation possible.
Contractors / Supporters
1. Everise Awnings & Iron Works - steel works & construction works
2. J & C Services - cabling works
3. Hong Gam Industries Pte Ltd - supply of reclaimed timber strips
4. Uncle Moh Interior Design & Renovation - supply of salvaged plywood strips
5. Hoong Thye Furniture & Renovations Pte Ltd - supply of plywood boards
Sponsorship
Acclaim Lighting
ATLAS Experience: http://www.atlas-sv.com/
Documentation
Olivia Kwok (for photo-documentation of setting up): www.jooksh.com
Tang Ling Nah (for photo-documentation of final work): www.activatedcstudio.blogspot.com
Sherman See-Tho & Wong Liyun (for photo-documentation of performance of ||| Movement (Shuffle):
www.mr-seetho.blogspot.com
Benjamin Low (for video-documentation of Shuffle's rehearsal 26 Nov 2011)
Mentorship / General Awesomeness
Xinyan Wu
Yunn Ee Chee
http://www.unbox.com.sg/
Willie Koh
Selwyn Low
Contractors / Supporters
1. Everise Awnings & Iron Works - steel works & construction works
2. J & C Services - cabling works
3. Hong Gam Industries Pte Ltd - supply of reclaimed timber strips
4. Uncle Moh Interior Design & Renovation - supply of salvaged plywood strips
5. Hoong Thye Furniture & Renovations Pte Ltd - supply of plywood boards
Sponsorship
Acclaim Lighting
ATLAS Experience: http://www.atlas-sv.com/
Documentation
Olivia Kwok (for photo-documentation of setting up): www.jooksh.com
Tang Ling Nah (for photo-documentation of final work): www.activatedcstudio.blogspot.com
Sherman See-Tho & Wong Liyun (for photo-documentation of performance of ||| Movement (Shuffle):
www.mr-seetho.blogspot.com
Benjamin Low (for video-documentation of Shuffle's rehearsal 26 Nov 2011)
Mentorship / General Awesomeness
Xinyan Wu
Yunn Ee Chee
http://www.unbox.com.sg/
Willie Koh
Selwyn Low
Soundscape: Background
Like our original proposal for Plaza by the Park, we all felt it was crucial to retain a site-specific response within our proposal for the new space we acquired. The seeds of our new concept began to germinate when we considered the history of the site; this transitory space was where the Old National Library Building once stood. Much lamenting and heart-felt criticism has been expressed since its demolition in March 2004, so we felt we didn't want to dwell on the past too much and repeat what others have (rightly) said previously.
Instead we began to conceive of the Old NLB's demise as a starting point to reflect upon the endless cycle of transformation within the city; this national icon's unfortunate end being a single chapter within a book about Singapore's development, as it spirals further into urbanity. As well as highlighting the theme of disappearance of local heritage, we wanted to tell other stories surrounding urbanisation too; the gradual decline of nature within the city, the loss of clarity within the urban soundscape, and the wider need to find sustainable approaches to our modern way of living.
Our team wanted to create an aural space for the audience to experience these themes, so we decided to create three zones within the final work - remembering, contemplating and transforming - which link together with notions of past, present and future respectively.
Instead we began to conceive of the Old NLB's demise as a starting point to reflect upon the endless cycle of transformation within the city; this national icon's unfortunate end being a single chapter within a book about Singapore's development, as it spirals further into urbanity. As well as highlighting the theme of disappearance of local heritage, we wanted to tell other stories surrounding urbanisation too; the gradual decline of nature within the city, the loss of clarity within the urban soundscape, and the wider need to find sustainable approaches to our modern way of living.
Our team wanted to create an aural space for the audience to experience these themes, so we decided to create three zones within the final work - remembering, contemplating and transforming - which link together with notions of past, present and future respectively.
Soundscape: Remembering
Imagine
My aim was to create the impression of exploring an imaginary library with one's ears, as the listener sits between the shelf-like structures within this zone. The composition weaves its way through a series of recordings made at different libraries across Singapore, guiding the listener through the unique aural qualities and ambiances of places typically defined by their quietness or 'silence'. The listener moves through these libraries searching for different books: The books open, the pages turn and the listener's ears are momentarily plunged into imaginary sound worlds - some natural and contemplative, others mechanised and abrasive.
Use of Silence
The entire composition runs at 1 hour 27 mins, 3 cycles of 29 minutes. Each cycle of 29 minutes is identical barring one aspect; each is interspersed with silence at different points, determined by chance (more on this later). There are 5 durations of silence within each cycle (60, 30, 15, 10 and 5 seconds), totaling 2 minutes:
The use of silence is a key aspect to the form of the sound composition in all of the zones. In this zone, the total duration of silence refers to the notion of observing two minutes of silence out of respect for the Old National Library Building.
Another reason I chose to use silence is to encourage the audience to listen to the real soundscape that surrounds them and wake up to how hearing plays an extremely important role in how we perceive and interpret our environment. Before each segment of silence the listener hears a short, sharp "sshhh!" (as indicated in the visual score above), which marks the sudden shift in their aural focus from the composed to the real.
There is perhaps an interesting parallel between the use of silence and the fact that our team were asked to remove any reference to the Old NLB within the official write up for our work, so as not to upset certain people. Luckily, this isn't the official write up, so I feel obliged to tell you the truth. Isn't it apt that our site-specific proposal provoked a site-specific form of censorship!? The rather forceful sounding "sshhh!" assumes a different kind of relevance from this angle.
When economic imperatives shape our concept of what it means for a city to grow, the delicate balance between place and memory is often put into jeopardy. The zeitgeist of expediency takes primacy over the preservation of so-called 'intangible' aspects of the cities we live in; places of social, cultural and historical importance are prone to vanishing, left to fade away in the uncertainty of memory.
If we conceive of the built environment as being an extension of our collective conscious, then this self-induced amnesia threatens to sever our sense of identity through the removal of our shared heritage.
I do believe each generation should look towards its future and embrace change where necessary, but not through the erasure of our collective memories, which are intrinsically tied to place. In expressing the on-going cycle of transformation, ||| Movement attempts to re-connect these severed links within Singapore's urban psyche. It seeks to find a balance between past, present and future, a moment of equilibrium between nature, modernity and history.
There is perhaps an interesting parallel between the use of silence and the fact that our team were asked to remove any reference to the Old NLB within the official write up for our work, so as not to upset certain people. Luckily, this isn't the official write up, so I feel obliged to tell you the truth. Isn't it apt that our site-specific proposal provoked a site-specific form of censorship!? The rather forceful sounding "sshhh!" assumes a different kind of relevance from this angle.
Memory Loss
When economic imperatives shape our concept of what it means for a city to grow, the delicate balance between place and memory is often put into jeopardy. The zeitgeist of expediency takes primacy over the preservation of so-called 'intangible' aspects of the cities we live in; places of social, cultural and historical importance are prone to vanishing, left to fade away in the uncertainty of memory.
If we conceive of the built environment as being an extension of our collective conscious, then this self-induced amnesia threatens to sever our sense of identity through the removal of our shared heritage.
I do believe each generation should look towards its future and embrace change where necessary, but not through the erasure of our collective memories, which are intrinsically tied to place. In expressing the on-going cycle of transformation, ||| Movement attempts to re-connect these severed links within Singapore's urban psyche. It seeks to find a balance between past, present and future, a moment of equilibrium between nature, modernity and history.
Library Soundwalks
Here are a few raw audio recording of some of my library soundwalks:
The libraries which I have visited in Singapore exist in stark contrast to the bustling urban soundscape outside. Their well implemented sound insulation, combined with the veil of communal quietness, creates a distinctive listening experience defined by clarity. Every miniscule sound can be heard; scribbling pens, flickering books, children's happy feet.
Next time you find yourself in a library, focus on your listening and ask yourself what you can hear. If you close your eyes, do you hear things differently? Continue to listen intently when you leave the library and return outside (you might want to open your eyes before you do). How do the two sound environments compare?
Environments of such aural clarity are rare within cities. We should aspire towards creating more spaces like this.
Next time you find yourself in a library, focus on your listening and ask yourself what you can hear. If you close your eyes, do you hear things differently? Continue to listen intently when you leave the library and return outside (you might want to open your eyes before you do). How do the two sound environments compare?
Environments of such aural clarity are rare within cities. We should aspire towards creating more spaces like this.
Soundscape: Transforming
Mutant Urbanism
The piece within this zone reflects the dominant elements of Singapore's urban soundscape. It is comprised of a series of short compositions derived from various recordings of construction site machinery, transport / vehicles, and other typically urban sounds in Singapore.
The forms of the sounds in these compositions exist in a constant state of morphology - twisting and mutating towards an uncertain future. There is a variance from slight manipulation to severe alterations of the source material through digital editing techniques, sampling, and effects processing:
Even for the ‘severe' compositions, there is still some trace of the source of the sound, as to not obscure the potential meanings intended.
The overtly digital and unsubtle transformations of sounds within this zone perhaps mirror the fact that the impact of something like construction on the soundscape is very obvious. Also, the resulting timbre of such audio manipulation techniques are intrinsically tied to the digital; the framework that are lives are currently absorbed in. Through characterising the sounds in this way, they perhaps embody a sense of our increasing immersion within the digital technologies as we move towards the future.
Soundscape: Contemplating
Moments
I conceived of this zone as a platform for the sounds that often get drowned out, or even disappear, as a result of increasing urbanisation - the sounds of nature. I used a selection of recordings of different elements of Singapore's natural environments to encourage a moment of stillness within the listener: An internal space where they can contemplate their relationship to such sounds and reflect upon the lack of balance between natural sounds and man-made sounds within the urban environment.
I treated my sound material delicately once selected, as means of preserving the creatures / elements for which they represent and showing them respect. I applied minimal amounts of alteration to the recordings, simply shaping frequency content to gently shift the perspective of what is present within the recording.
Soundscape: Balance
Silent Chances
Singapore's soundscape, like most cities, is characterised by its high density; multiple layers of sound compete with one another to be heard by the listener as they pass through public spaces.
In thinking about my approach to the compositions I asked myself this: In such a dense and intense sound environment would it be appropriate to introduce a continuous stream of new sounds?
No: A better approach would be to utilise silence within the work, allowing space for the listener to experience the real soundscape that surrounds them. Between the Transforming and Contemplating zones, there is as much silence as there is composed audio:
In the above images, the gaps between waveforms denote a period of silence.
Many of the transitions between the short compositions and silence happen gradually, which will hopefully have the aural effect of an incremental slippage from the illusory to the real. The periods of silence were determined through simple chance operations using Max MSP:
Indeed, it is the real soundscape that I think we should wake up to. Hopefully the methods applied in this work will help stimulate the audience in to active listening to the acoustic environment.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)