Soundtrack for an Exhibition

Susan Stenger, Musée d’art Contemporain de Lyon, FR 2006

The sound piece, composed by Susan Stenger and featuring contributions from a stellar list of international musicians, employs an archetypal pop song structure ‘exploded’ in form to last 96 days. The soundtrack is audible throughout the gallery both inside and outside.

I was approached by Forma (who produced the work) to develop a software system capable of delivering 96 days of multitrack audio. To achieve this i developed a format of written instruction in text files, that the software read and used to play back sound files. this involved mixing, looping, "randomizing" some parts and so on. The system also displayed the soundtrack in a visual score on screens around the gallery. I worked with Jeremy Bernstein to realise this part of the work, creating a networked system running on several computers.

for more information see: http://www.forma.org.uk/programme/archive/2006/exhibitions/soundtrack.html


© mark fell, modified January 27, 2007, at 12:04 PM PST edit print