“Tones & whispers" Ist version, II nd version

three video pieces, 8min 31 sec , 2005

presented in AT Gallery, Poznan; Cybersonica, Dana Centre Science Museum, London;   Poznan Art Fair, 2005

 

Pythagoras used to believe that the whole matter emanates tones, that the whole world is the music. He divided it into Musica Mundana (which soon became famous as Music of Spheres) and Musica Humana (music of human body). Their relations, open to mind rather than to our limited senses, have been regulating links between the human being and Universe evolving according to changes in our perception of the world and its understanding. Vibrating tones reflecting the movement of planets around the Sun opens the sonic essay on the Golden Record carried by spaceships Voyager I & II on their intergalaxy journey One cannot foresee whether this updated version of Music of Spheres will ever reach some distant in time and space civilisations. These vibrations, containing the memory of milliards years of existence, might never leave their source, remaining resonate inside the inscrutable structure of human brain as long as imagination and cognitive passion will rule our minds.

Today radiotelescopes penetrate remote recesses of cosmic space. The same technology allows us to observe and listen to 15 thousands of neurons which secure thoughts, emotions, feelings and persistence of a human being.

For  “tones & whispers” Johannes Keplers'  (XVII/XVIII ) elaboration of Music of Spheres was performed on theremin (the instrument using radio waves as the source of tones). Spheres of sound surround the particular planets. The tones are combined with brainwaves and other sounds creating our sonic realm. Images from fMRI brain scanning merge with distant galaxes and planets but one can notice also fragments of everyday surrounding.

The piece is about relations between the place and space, between micro- and macro- worlds fulfilling themselves in the individual's existence.  The project is inscribed in the serious of works entitled “Hidden Melody”

Installation “Here & Beyond/Tones & whispers” consists of three simultaneous video pieces and photo-images of music scores. Soundtrack was elaborated by Dave Lawrance.

with special thanks to Barbara Buchholtz (theremin), dr Lauren Stewart  Functional Imaging Laboratory, London University, mgr Agnieszka Grabka Dept. of  Medical Physics Warsaw University