Earlier this year I went to see an installation at 180 studios by artist Ryoji Ikeda. Ikeda uses an incredible mix of sound and visuals to explore the world of data and audio in what he calls “raw” states. The installation was a series of rooms each with a different display. There was a consistent aesthetic of black and white with occasional deviations, particularly in the last room. This room was a large space with 3 huge screens displaying various visualisations of different kinds of data, seismographic, weather, brains scans, mapping etc. All accompanied by a soundscape that perfectly embody the sounds of data, in my own practices of importing programs as raw data there are definitely sonic qualities in common. The soundscapes throughout utilised frequencies at the border of human hearing, the whole experience is like stretching out muscles that you barely use its uncomfortable at first but slowly becomes easier and feels more natural.
Overall the whole installation was a really unique experience, I think I have been waiting a long time for something as different as this. For installations and art pieces I always put huge value on if it gives me an experience I’ve never had before and can’t really get anywhere else, with this installation I totally felt as if I had been transported to a different realm and I have most definitely not experienced anything like this before.