Resonant Wave_ Prototypes

Abstract
Resonant Wave is an interactive artwork which combines a ceiling installation and an experimental flamenco performance. It attempts to represent the invisible movement of air and the indistinguishable vibrations of sound with the interaction between the dancer and the installation. The form of the installation is inspired by the shape of a wave and a sweeping shawl. It consists of thirty individual pieces. Each piece includes LEDs and a geared motor. In the beginning, the installation is motionless and dark. According to the dancer’s positions, each piece will rotate. Also, according to her location, if she does some hand clapping and foot stamping, some groups LEDs will light up. The dancer’s performance will gradually lead the audience to observe the various interactions between the space, dancer, airflow and sound. For my final project, I will build two pieces. The first piece consists of LEDs. It will change its brightness according to the volume of the sounds. The second piece will connect to a keyboard extension pad. In the beginning, it will be motionless. It will start to rotate, if people stand on the pad.

Concept
Flamenco is a dramatic art. I am fascinated with it. When I am dancing with my flamenco teacher, Viola, she often tells that we are not only dancing but also using our bodies to create and interact with space. Her words inspire me a lot. Flamenco is drastic because the dancer engages the audience’s attention by posing in powerfully expressive postures and creating various loud percussive sounds. They create not only many spatial gradations but also audio gradations. This is why the title of this project is Resonant Wave. It is a project which attempts to represent the invisible movement of air and the indistinguishable vibrations of sound with the interaction between the dancer and the installation. The dancer’s performance will gradually lead the audience to observe the various interactions between the space, dance, airflow, and sound.

Influences
Makoto Sei Watanabe is Japanese architect whose Fiber Wave is a series of projects. Fiber Wave II was installed in Biennale di Venezia. Its movement was controlled by the Net, a digital world. The audience can select a city such as New York, Paris, and Moscow. According to the wind blowing in those cities, the fiber optic robs will start to move. Most of the time, people think mechanisms are lifeless. However, through artists’ recreation and people’s interaction, mechanisms can be alive. They are esthetically pleasing. This is also Resonant Wave’s intention. Star Light by James Clar and Associate’s has the same effect. The audiences wear 3d glasses to see the movement of LEDs. Suddenly, LEDs are not only LEDs. They become people’s imagination on the starry night.