For this portion of the class, we learned about human and environmental interactivity, which I found to be very interesting. One of the works we analyzed was part of the Random International art composition. The piece itself was displayed in 2015 at the Yuz Museum in Shanghai and is called Rain Room. In the piece, the listener / observer becomes a fundamental component of the art itself – through interactivity with the piece, the observation of the art becomes the art itself. In this unique environment, the sounds of the rain fill the ears of the listener, while the smells of rain float through the air. A piece like this is interesting in that many artistic pieces lack this form of integration and interactivity – this piece marks an open door through which sound art allows us to take a new step into the field of art.

Another interesting piece from the Random International composition is titled Future Self and is a 3-D combination of glass, mirrors and light that essentially mimics human movement to bind the audience together with their “future self” or illuminated figure. Similar to Rain Room, this piece allows us to interact with the piece in a way that is unique to the field of art as we know it. While the responses do respond to the general movements of the performer or observer, there is a chaotic element to the piece that makes it unpredictable and enigmatic – something that I really enjoy to watch.

Another piece that highlights the idea of interactivity between human and art is in Chikashi Miyama’s piece Angry Sparrow. In the piece, the observer moves his or her hands above a sensor which activates various sounds that sound like an angry sparrow. Over the course of the presentation, the project can initially seem dysfunctional and relatively annoying; however, over time, this transforms into a more orderly and sensible peace over time, which makes the project enjoyable and fulfilling to observe. 

Lastly, I enjoyed Laura Maes’ piece Oorwonde, which is an audio operating table in which the listener can rest and explore the concept and understanding of bodily hearing. In the piece, there are sensors around the project that activate relative to movement around the body. Through these various vibrations around the body, Maes opens our eyes to the notion of bodily hearing, which is new and unique to the sound realm.

Overall, this portion of the class discussion was great for understanding the full extent to which we can incorporate sound art and our interactivity in to one piece. Too often do we see sound as one-dimensional – a situation in which we view the piece and nothing else. This section of the class opened my eyes to the possibilities of sound art and the ability to approach art from a different perspective.