Sound design in art and science: Rabarba – Branching realities

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Volume Title

School of Arts, Design and Architecture | Master's thesis
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Date

2023

Department

Major/Subject

Mcode

Degree programme

Taiteen ja median maisteriohjelma

Language

en

Pages

66

Series

Abstract

The role of sound as an element is notably pronounced in Art and Science projects, assuming diverse functions such as immersing the visitor in the artwork or serving as a component within media presentations of data and other physical phenomena. Through a study of my previous works in this field, spanning four years of intense practice, I aim to provide in-depth examples of the importance of sound design as an artistic strategy to emphasize empathy or introspective reception of the work, thereby conveying factual information. The focal point of this is the in-depth examination of the Rabarba - Branching Realities project, which is an audiovisual installation that utilizes soft robotics with the goal of exploration and speculative design. We imagine a future in which climate change induced droughts are a significant issue, and present a bio-inspired solution: robotic sandworms, called Wÿrms, burrow and modify the landscape, thereby managing groundwater. This project was developed during my participation in the ABRA (Artificial Biology, Robotics and Art) project together with Sólja Holm Mortensen and Edit Blaumann, which constitutes a collaborative program involving four distinct educational institutions. Based on the previous examples, from my personal practice, I conclude that sound designers can occupy a unique, valuable and significant position at the intersection of Art and Science. By infusing science-inspired practices into sound design, their expertise allows them to actively contribute to the comprehension of projects and conveyance of ideas, by using sound as a medium for evoking emotions. Additionally, this enriches the creative process and brings forth innovative results. The resulting collaborative approach not only fosters teamwork but also showcases the potential for interdisciplinary knowledge integration and transfer.

Description

Supervisor

Ikonen, Antti

Thesis advisor

Beloff, Laura

Keywords

sound design, art and science, immersive experiences, soft robotics, ABRA, speculative design, audiovisual installation

Other note

Media files notes: arts_2023_sumarac_marija.wav arts_2023_sumarac_marija.video Description: Video and audio documentation of the Rabarba project Media rights: CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0

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