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September 20, 2006
Electromagnetic Sense of Space
It's true, there is an enormous spectrum of information in the world that our senses are unable perceive. A lot of electromagnetic energy comes from the machinery in our cities - subways,bank machines, electric signage, etc. And increasingly, much of that information has been used to transfer digital information through the air: wireless internet, cell phone conversations, digital files via bluetooth. It was only a few years ago when we were discussing the pros and cons of being surrounded by wireless networks. There were a lot of skeptics who were concerned about health issues. Who was afraid to use a cell phone at first after hearingthat they caused cancer? They only had a brief moment in time to state their claim - now it's basically a free for all (look how many open networks you can receive from the 4th floor of the Tisch building alone). I personally don't feel it, but many claim that this dirty electricity causes health problems. Trent University, a major researcher on dirty energy in Canada, actually prohibited the use of WiFi networks on its campus.
A couple of artists have begun to work with information in the electromagnetic spectrum, using technology to sense and record what we cannot perceive and transferring the information into a visual or sonic medium ... to re-create a new perception of physical space.
German artist Kristina Kubisch created a series of "Electrical Walks" in different cities, creating a piece of equipment that amplified electromagnetic sounds. She offered the technology for people to explore their hometowns through soundwalks, enabling them to experience the city in a new light. A collection of the recordings that she made is available here.
Similarly, recent ITP graduate Sawako Kato created a performance for the Conflux festival, which took place this past weekend. Sawako amplified information from the 2.4 GHz range (bluetooth, WiFi, microwave etc.) to create a soundscape. In the description of her project,
she writes: "Our world is resonating with various kinds of waves, and the waves make harmony in the air." Clearly she saw some beauty in our electromagnetic spectrum. Members of the audience were invited to use their cellphones and laptops to contribute to the performance. Unfortunately, I couldn't make it. I had too much Physical Computing homework to do.
Given the chance, I'd personally love to do some visualization work in this field, maybe started with radio. That's just the beginning of a wide electromagnetic spectrum.
Posted by Jeremy Rotsztain at September 20, 2006 02:14 PM