Paul Devens: Testing Ground

Exerpt from the time based installation at Zaal Belgie, part of "Power Plays, interior desires, exterior spaces". 6-channel soundsystem is directed towards the ceiling. The audience hears refelected sounds also according to the individual position or movement of every person in space. In the twenty minutes of the 'show', the ceiling comes down slowly and changes the physical (and psychologic) parameters of the space. The reflected sounds are heard more sperate for each channel in the lower position of the ceiling. Curated by Ive Stevenheydens (cameras by Alexa Meijerman).

http://www.pauldevens.com

Testing Ground, 2006, Zaal (KC) België, Hasselt, Belgium

Testing Ground is a model, issuing the relation between concepts of architecture, acoustics and sound. The setup is remotely similar to a pop concert-situation, the way the audience is regarded as a standing group of people. Only this time, there's not one focus (to a performing band, for instance), but several undefined ones.

First, the audience enters a space of around 80 square meters. Two rails, consisting of 3 loudspeakers each, are supported by tripods. These speakers are aimed towards the ceiling from above ear level. This way, the mid- and high pitched sounds are audible as a reflection against the ceiling.

The electro-acoustic music is composed on a virtual modular system, designed to play eight different looping electronic sound bits. Each sound is assigned to one of the six high-power speakers through a programmed sequencer; the 'route' each individual sound-bit follows from speaker to speaker into space, is predetermined in the program this way. Except from the fact the music is a time based composition, the audience is able to hear different emphasis on rhythm and colour by walking around or choosing other standing positions.

During the twenty minutes of this time-based installation the room changes; the ceiling drops very slowly from four- to two meters. The reflections of sounds changes, the acoustic behaviour of the space changes, and the individual space of each person in the audience changes as well.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• art
• soundart
• architecture
• performance
• installation
• paul
• devens
• audience
• 6-channel
• sound
• belgie
• powerplays
• testingground