Meandrophone

by Bojan Gagić

The experimental project Meandrophone is based on the renowned meander Anticomposition (1960) by Croatian painter Julije Knifer, as well as on fragments of Knifer's diary entries (Zapisi, 1976). The installation consists of five speakers positioned throughout the space so that they follow the outline and the ratios of the angles of Knifer's Anticomposition, which is being projected. The sounds coming from the speakers consist of two main elements, which correlate with the dynamics of white and black on Knifer's Anticomposition: the first is white noise – static noise constituting the basic foundation which fills the given space evenly, representing a constant on the verge of audibility, and the second are sounds that move through the space following the linear form of the meander. The granulations of these sounds were derived from chosen parts of Knifer's writings (Zapisi), by converting the mathematical relations of the letters, as well as the readings of the texts – using random algorithmic functions through multiple repetitions. A personal synthesis of the fragments of the meandrophone occurs in the moment when the visitor moves through the luminous space of the meander, and with his movements activates the invisible sensors, thus triggering the sounds.

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The experimental project Meandrophone is based on the renowned meander Anticomposition (1960) by Croatian painter Julije Knifer, as well as on fragments of Knifer's diary entries (Zapisi, 1976). The installation consists of five speakers positioned throughout the space so that they follow the outline and the ratios of the angles of Knifer's Anticomposition, which is being projected. The sounds coming from the speakers consist of two main elements, which correlate with the dynamics of white and black on Knifer's Anticomposition: the first is white noise – static noise constituting the basic foundation which fills the given space evenly, representing a constant on the verge of audibility, and the second are sounds that move through the space following the linear form of the meander. The granulations of these sounds were derived from chosen parts of Knifer's writings (Zapisi), by converting the mathematical relations of the letters, as well as the readings of the texts – using random algorithmic functions through multiple repetitions. A personal synthesis of the fragments of the meandrophone occurs in the moment when the visitor moves through the luminous space of the meander, and with his movements activates the invisible sensors, thus triggering the sounds.