Studio F Minus

Studio F-Minus
 
SIREN

www.studiofminus.com

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Client:
Private Gallery
Role:
Artist, Sotware Designer, Electronics Fabricator, Mechanical
Collaborators:

Ashleigh Semkiw (Performance); Patricia O'Connor (Dress Fabrication)

Status:
Performed 2011

 

"Siren" is a performative sculpture which responds to the voice of singer Ashleigh Semkiw, as well as surrounding spectators. A vast plot of white silk pours out in all directions from the singer's dress, held up at various points by coloured strings. As the performer sings, the strings spin and tug on the silk, creating choppy waves in the fabric. Each string responds to a different range of frequencies in the human vocal range, making each performance a unique choreography of voice.

The artwork is realized through possible through custom audio software and hardware developed by the artist. The computer program analyses a live audio feed and determines the note being sung. Thus, in real time, the software controls the motor that attaches to the appropriate string, causing it to spin. The louder the volume of the note, the faster the corresponding string spins. Where harmonic overtones are present, more than one string will spin.

Dress by Patricia O'Connor.

Ashleigh Semkiw in Siren
The original performance of this artwork took place at Angell Gallery in Toronto in Summer 2011. Earlier versions of the project were exhibited at Spoke Club (2010) and Brookfield Place (2010). Ms. Semkiw is singing her arrangement of "Codex" by Radiohead, from the album "The King of Limbs" (2011).