2011
An interactive sonic instrument based on real-time tactile sonification of weather data for Perth, Australia
Joel Louie, Australia
Jan L Andruszkiewicz Australia
Bryan J Mather, Australia
Kevin Raxworthy, Australia
Julian Stadon, Australia
Dr Paul Thomas, Australia
Supported by: Curtin University Technology (Perth, Australia)
College of Fine Art, University of New South Wales (Sydney Australia)
Weather Inflections explores issues embedded within the philosophical landscape of phenomenology. Specifically it looks at how we, as embodied beings, experience changing weather patterns in our environment. In facilitating a temporary rupture in an individual’s perceptual framework, the Weather Inflections installation seeks to expand the vocabulary of awareness of its audience and challenge established paradigms of sensory cognizance. By ‘crossing the perceptual wires’ and initiating a synaesthetic experience, an individual may observe spatially and temporally mapped digital data within their physical self as manifested by a tactile and aural experience of weather from elsewhere. This interactive installation further explores notions of embodied interaction through the lens of phenomenology by expressing our interactional relationship with computer data and its mediation of the experience of the climate / environment. As embodied beings, our physical reality is that while we may be able to acutely sense weather changes in the present moment, it is much more difficult to recall and make accurate comparisons between sensory perceptions across different spatial-temporal mappings. Weather Inflections aims to help bridge this perceptual gap by allowing users to have an immediate tactile sonic experience of changes in climate data analogous to Perth Western Australia. In addition to providing a novel, visceral representation of the data, this approach may also help an individual literally ‘internalize’ the experience of weather variance.
Artist bio:
Joel Louie’s PhD research and creative practice explore how our relationship to computing technology is affected through mediation with embodied interaction modalities. Joel enjoys making interactive synaesthetic artifacts that translate one set of sensory input into a different set of sensory output.
Jan L Andruszkiewicz is doing a Master of Philosophy degree at Curtin University Perth, WA. a member of the Australian Computer Society (ACS), a professional member of the Association for Computing Machinery, and an associate member of Leonardo/ISAST.
Bryan J Mather is a PhD student at Curtin University with two specific fields of expertise, Information Technology and Fine Art. Bryan’s current research is into the effect of computer language (algorithmic) structure on digital reality.
Kevin Raxworthy is senior technician in the Studio of Electronic Arts (SEA) at Curtin University of Technology. Kevin has been working in the area of media art since 1983. Kevin’s work looks at the nexus between artificial life, code space and art. He is currently completing his masters in electronic Art. Raxworthy has recently completed a Master of Art (Electronic Art)
Julian Stadon is a PhD Candidate at Curtin University. Recently completed an ANAT Emerging Artists Mentorship @ Interface Culture Lab, Linz, Salford University, Manchester and Curtin University, Perth. Recently received an Australian Post Graduate Award Scholarship along with a Curtin University Research Scholarship to continue ongoing research practice
Associate Professor Paul Thomas, currently holds a joint position as Head of Painting at the College of Fine Art, University of New South Wales and Head of Creative Technologies, Centre for Culture and Technology, Curtin University of Technology. In 2009 he established Collaborative Research in Art Science and Humanity (CRASH) at Curtin http://crash.curtin.edu.au.
