Sound Design Feedback from Jules

1. Speaker Setup:

Jules suggested that the speaker arrangement could be more “irregular” to align with the innovative nature of the exhibition. We can reorient the four speakers to “pair” differently with West Court’s built-in stereo system. For instance, adjusting them so that the field recordings are heard predominantly from the right, while the data sonifications emerge from the left. Additionally, changing the direction of the speakers will enable us to capture both the direct sound and its reflections off the venue’s surfaces, adding a dynamic layer of auditory variation.

1. Spatial Mixing:

Jules also recommended considering spatial mixing to better replicate the LiDAR scanning process. Currently, our data sonifications are set to stereo output. However, enhancing this setup to allow RGB sounds to emanate from varying heights or to have the LiDAR high-tech sounds orbiting around the listener could significantly enrich the auditory experience. Such adjustments would not only simulate the three-dimensional aspect of LiDAR scanning but also create a more immersive and engaging environment for the audience.

 

Visual feedback

Visitors were effusive in their praise for the astute utilization of space evident throughout the exhibition, lauding the discernible arrangement of diverse elements. Particularly striking was the efficacy of the central installation featuring suspended white paper, which commanded attention and imbued the space with a sense of cohesion and intrigue. Notably, interactive projects, such as those showcasing the Edinburgh College of Art (ECA) and Dean Village, stood out prominently among visitors, garnering widespread recognition for their engaging and immersive qualities.

 

Furthermore, valuable input from Jules highlighted the potential for enhancing the symbiosis between the projects and the exhibition venue itself. Specifically, suggestions were made to align the layout of the venue with that of the ECA projects, thereby fostering a seamless integration and heightening audience immersion. By mirroring the configuration and ambiance of the projects within the exhibition space, attendees could be further enveloped in an experiential journey that transcends mere observation, fostering deeper engagement and appreciation of the showcased content.

Apr 25, 2024

Apr 25, 2024

Venue Setup

On April 4th, we held our exhibition at West Court, designed to allow visitors to experience Edinburgh anew, interpreting the city through various media driven by lidar data.

Figure 1: Overall venue setup top view

Figure 2: Overall venue setup left view

Figure 3: Overall venue setup isometric view

Video Setup:

To create an immersive experience, we projected four different video contents onto the room’s four walls. The front and back walls, which were plain white, served as direct projection surfaces. For the uneven side walls unsuitable for projections, we installed large displays to ensure clear image quality. Two of these video displays were interactive, equipped with stands that held the keyboard, mouse for gaming, and Leap Motion Controllers for visual interaction.

Figure 4: Video setup

 

Audio Setup:

The audio component of the exhibition utilized West Court’s built-in stereo speakers, which were complemented by four additional speakers. The existing speakers broadcasted the field recordings, while the four additional speakers, arranged in two stereo pairs, played the data sonifications of Vennel Step and Dean Bridge. Positioned centrally, these speakers acted as an auditory link between the different video contents, enhancing the immersive experience.

Figure 5: Audio setup

 

Light Setup:

We transformed West Court into a darkened environment by turning off all interior lights, which made our monitors and projections prominently visible in the darkness. Brightness was strategically used to guide visitors through the venue. Additionally, display lights were installed around the edges of a central mirrored table, shining outward to prevent the space from being too dark while accentuating the 3D printing placed in the center.

Figure 6: Light setup

 

Paper Setup:

We utilized the room’s existing pipes as anchor points to stretch thin ropes across the space, with paper sheets hung on them to visually encapsulate visitors within layers of data. Papers were also placed on the floor to guide visitors along a designated path and wrapped around various stands, enhancing the theme that the artworks were composed of scanned data.

 

iPad & 3D Printing Setup:

At the entrance, an interactive iPad displayed the scanned model of Vennel Step, offering visitors an initial glimpse into the lidar scanning results. The 3D prints were displayed on a mirrored table at the center of the venue, where the reflection from the mirrors helped focus attention on the intricate details of the 3D models, effectively showcasing the blend of technology and artistry.

Figure 7: Paper and 3D printing setup

Equipment List

Audio Equipment:

• 1 laptop
• 4 Genelec 1029 speakers (with stands)
• RME – FireFace UC
• Cables

Video Equipment:

• 4 laptops
• 1 Bluetooth mouse
• 1 Bluetooth keyboard
• 1 Leap Motion Controller
• 2 Projectors
• 2 Televisions

Other Equipment:

• 1 Music Stand (for iPad display)
• 4 common stands (for keyboard, etc)
• 1 mirror table
• 6 exhibition lights
• glue&tape
• rope(for hanging paper)

Figure 8:Audio Equipments

Figure 9: Video Equipments

Figure 10: Stand

Apr 25, 2024

The inspiration for Hyperobject X Edinburgh comes from Timothy Morton’s concept of the Hyperobject. This concept views the entire Earth as a whole and elevates the status of objects to the same level as humans. Therefore, in this installation art, we elevate the Place within the Hyperobject to a position equal to that of humans. As people look at Lidar data, they also become like Lidar, scanning the entire Place within Hyperobject Edinburgh.

Heidegger mentioned the world and the earth in The origin of the work of art. The earth is the foundation on which the world is revealed, and the world is displayed through the earth; thus, in our installation art, Data is our earth, the basis of all our works, without which these works would not be created. At the same time, this Hyperobject Edinburgh is displayed in a new way because of the existence of Data.

In Hyperobject X Edinburgh, there are a total of seven works, including paper that materializes Lidar data, an interactive installation at ECA and Dean Village, a video installation at EFI and Vennel Steps, 3D printed works depicting movement and stillness in superimposed states and 3D printed works of Scottish blackface sheep.

The paper materializing Lidar data is the heart of the entire installation art, it not only connects the works in various Places but also guides people to reconsider these digital data, questioning if, from the perspective of Lidar, Edinburgh under Hyperobject is merely a set of numbers?

Figure 1: Paper project

 

ECA and EFI, as parts of the University of Edinburgh, not only represent various aspects of our lives but also symbolize a vision for the future world. Vennel Steps and Dean Village are more like representatives of the city, each connecting different places within Edinburgh. Vennel Steps, linking Lauriston Place and West Port, provides a beautiful view of Edinburgh Castle, thanks to its location. Vennel Steps, linking Lauriston Place and West Port, provides a beautiful view of Edinburgh Castle,thanks to its location.

Figure 2: ECA project

Figure 3: EFI project

Figure 4: Dean Village project

Figure 5: Vennel Steps project

 

The only human-created 3D print that brings the perspective into the superimposed state of motion and stillness, illustrates that humans are inherently limited and can be influenced by other factors, thanks to the existence of this superimposed state. The Scottish Blackface sheep toy and the hat it seemingly ‘created’ itself represent Scotland, and also whimsically places a hat made from its own Lidar data on the Scottish Blackface sheep.

Figure 6: Human project

Figure 7: Scottish Blackface sheep project

 

Apr 25, 2024

Main object

Our installation will be installed in the West Court, maximizing the utilization of this space.

Fig 1-rendering of main object

Fig 2-rendering of main object

In the entire space, the most important media of the Main Object are paper and sound. Paper not only gives data a physical entity in the real world but also visualizes the data, allowing the audience to see, touch, and smell it.Therefore, we have ordered six pieces of paper measuring 31cm by 1000cm, and these data will be scrambled, randomly sorted, and assigned different font sizes.

Fig 3- Practical  of data paper

Fig 4- data paper of PDF

Among these data, 20% are significantly larger, while 80% are of a more regular size, thereby greatly enhancing the visibility of the data.This 60-meter-long paper will become the main body of the Main Object, and other data-bearing papers will appear in the space, which can be affixed to walls, appear beneath the object as a map, and so on.

The sound will be divided into Diegetic and Non-diegetic parts, with the Diegetic part comprising the soundscape.These sounds will permeate the entire space, serving as a key to leading people into the hyperobject Edinburgh, as they can create a realistic atmosphere, generating an illusion of being in the city.The sound design of the Non-diegetic part is more crucial than the Diegetic, as it is key to leading people into the world of Data.

 

Human Object

John Cage played a trick in his work 4’33”, where the audience expects a performance from the main performer during this duration. In reality, the audience itself becomes part of the work, thus we will also play a trick within this human object.This trick consists of two parts: paper and 3D print.We will print a  paper saying “Please listen carefully”, misleading the audience into a mistaken action. In reality, there will only be sounds within the space; the 3D print does not produce sound.

The 3D print part represents me, or rather, a fusion of myself in both static and dynamic states, symbolizing a superimposed state.Together, our group covered me with black plastic bags and aluminum foil, scanning me with a smartphone’s radar.The scanning results were imported into CloudCompare for processing and editing, exported as a new model,then imported into Cinema 4D for further modeling and editing, and finally exported in a 3D printable format and uploaded to ucreate for 3D printing.

Fig 5 static state and dynamic state in Comparecloud

Fig 6- static state and dynamic state in Comparecloud

Fig 7 – Human object in C4D

Fig 8 – 3D print in Prusaslicer of Human object

Small Object

Marcel Duchamp transformed a urinal into ‘her’ work “Fountain”, similarly, a Scottish Blackface can become our work, but unlike a regular Scottish Blackface, it is one wearing a hat.This hat is made through 3D printing, and it also represents its scanned data.After scanning the Scottish Blackface, we processed it to transform it into a hat, presenting both the real Scottish Blackface and the data-Scottish Blackface simultaneously, of course, in various hat sizes.

Fig 9- Data Scottish Blacface in Comparecloud

Fig 10-Data Scottish Blacface in Comparecloud

Fig 11-Data Scottish Blacface Hat in C4D

Fig 12-Data Scottish Blacface Hat in Prusaslicer

Mar 28, 2024