spectrum

2019
sound installation

spectrum is a sound installation to explore the visual appearance of inaudible sound. This piece is comprised of the visual objects made of nano gratings whose internal structures express the sonic waves of ultrasound in different frequencies, and a light source. It illustrates the aesthetic properties of visible spectra which are naturally created from the artificially designed objects of the nano gratings. Each grating shows varied combinations of the spectral colour, depending on the internal structure of the gratings. Through this piece, the audience can ‘hear’ the inaudible sounds through unexpected visual outcome of natural reactions by electromagnetic waves.

research collaboration: Professor Anatoly Zayats (King’s College London)
photo: Mari Ohno

moment

2017
test tubes, aluminium, acrylic, motors
W 500 mm × L 500 mm × H 700 mm

Pulses are a biological reflection of our unconscious physical and mental conditions. There are a variety of rhythms at any given moment in our bodies, depending on many factors, such as location in the body, our activities, feelings, age, time of life, and our health conditions. The internal rhythmic clocks interact with each other through our blood circulatory system, like a traffic network. The tension of these biological rhythms may be described as unconscious humanity.

moment is a sound installation inspired by blood as the core unit of life force, which considers the principle of life and time in the Anthropocene. This piece presents the immensity of unconscious rhythms in our internal body, and the complexity of these interactions in the mechanism of life, at every moment. The aim of the project is to create new life-like artefacts triggered by our internal rhythms, in order to examine our perception of natural and artificial life.

The piece is one of a series of instrumental structures that are controlled by pulse at different moments in our daily lives. All structural units have different shapes and represent different moments. Although the objects consist of inanimate materials, they suggest animate objects. The artificial movements triggered by our internal rhythms are transformed into natural sounds with life-like movements by the momentum that each asymmetric structure creates. The sound outcome is orchestrated by the interaction between the units over time.

commissioned by Science Gallery London

research collaboration: Dr Manasi Nandi (King’s College London)
photo: Mari Ohno

transition [characteristic]

2017
salt, water, beakers, aluminium, acrylic, motors
W 700 mm × L 700 mm × H 700 mm

transition is an investigation into the notion of time and space in transformations between natural and artificial matter. The idea behind this project was to explore our current environment, which is surrounded by matter that is merged between nature and artefacts. By crossing the boundary between these in an integrated expression using time and space, transition demonstrates the phenomenological attributes of sound and the characteristics of natural processes and elements. Through this project, it considers the relationship between nature and the artificial world.This project consists of two contrasting pieces, [systemic] and [characteristic], which take opposite directions in the transition process between natural and artificial mechanisms to investigate the diversity and immensity of the central idea.

transition [characteristic] represents the conversion of artificial mechanisms into natural ones. This piece is a mechanical system that creates acoustic reactions through salt crystallisation. Salt is an essential mineral to life, and cannot be produced by living organisms. Some salt may be the residual substance of brine or ancient seas, and some may have arrived from outer space. Although salt itself is non-living matter, it shows life-like behaviour in the crystallisation process – it creates networks to form its structure. The sounds in this piece are triggered by the mechanical system, while the texture changes depending on the crystallisation process over the few months of the exhibition, at a speed that eludes human perception.

organised by Tokyo Arts and Space

photo: Ken Kato, photo courtesy of Tokyo Arts and Space

transition [systemic]

2017
screen-printed photograms on compact discs
W 200 mm × L 4000 mm × H 900 mm

transition is an investigation into the notion of time and space in transformations between natural and artificial matter. The idea behind this project was to explore our current environment, which is surrounded by matter that is merged between nature and artefacts. By crossing the boundary between these in an integrated expression using time and space, transition demonstrates the phenomenological attributes of sound and the characteristics of natural processes and elements. Through this project, it considers the relationship between nature and the artificial world.This project consists of two contrasting pieces, [systemic] and [characteristic], which take opposite directions in the transition process between natural and artificial mechanisms to investigate the diversity and immensity of the central idea.

transition [systemic] is dedicated to the conversion of natural mechanisms into artificial ones. It comprises a series of photograms that mimic a primitive life cycle of evolution. The photograms are the optical trails of primitive, life-like behaviour, such as division and fusion, generated through chemical reactions. The first image shows the birth of fictional cells, while the final one shows the collapse of the developed cells through evolution. The behaviours of the cells are transferred to the recording surface of optical media in photogram form. This piece explores the diversity of autonomous expression created through natural and artificial mechanisms.

organised by Tokyo Arts and Space

photo: Ken Kato, photo courtesy of Tokyo Arts and Space

energy in motion

2016
sound installation

energy in motion is a bio-sonic exploration of vitalism through life-like behaviours of fictional cells. This piece demonstrates the dynamics created through chemical reactions on a microscopic scale. In this piece, the microscopic fictional cells drawn by chemical materials show some autonomous behaviours that resemble living cells, such as fusion and division. The cell’s behaviours are analysed and transformed into sounds via computation. This visual and sonic outcome is created by both the artist’s intention and the natural interaction of the chemical materials. The artist composes the visual elements of the cells whose behaviours generate sounds, and the cells themselves ‘compose’ others. Through a series of chemical reactions, the piece shows the diversity of the cell’s behaviour, including shapes, movements, and speed.

This project is focused on the movement of fusion and division as a life-like behaviour, inspired by recent research trends in artificial life, called protocells. Protocells are designed as an intermediate state of bodies between living and non-living. They are composed of non-living chemical materials and mimic some biological properties of life. The chemical behaviour gives us an insight into vitalism: the idea that both living/non-living matter should exhibit a sort of identity from their fundamental decision making and behaviour. This project is an exploration of what vitalism is made of. The simple shape of protocells gives us a realisation of the complex mechanisms of natural life.

cells

2016 -
live performance

cells is a bio-sonic performance that aims to explore a sense of vitalism through the life-like behaviour of fictional cells, inspired by protocells.

All natural life-forms are made of matter, mainly the composition of water and organic compounds. Fueled by the recent studies of artificial cells, protocells which could be semi-living bodies, the boundary between nature and artificiality is getting blurred. In the shape of protocells, it suggests the fundamental mechanism and the complexity of natural life, raising questions about the effect of artificial life on the natural world. The chemical behaviour gives us the insight into vitalism; both living/non-living matter should emerge a sort of identity by the fundamental decision making of their behaviour. This project is an exploration of substance free matter - what vitalism is made of.

This performance demonstrates a microscopic live-painting to trigger dynamic chemical reactions of fictional cells. The behaviour of the cells is analysed and transformed into sounds via computation. The piece comprises both my performance and the natural interaction of the chemical materials. The sell’s Through a series of chemical reactions in an audio-visual performance, it demonstrates the diversity of the cell’s behaviour.

acoustic cluster

2013
mixed media
W 900 mm × L 1200 mm × H 2000 mm

This work seeks to investigate something we are largely unconscious of in our daily lives through the use of acoustic response. Sounds travel through the air as sound waves: invisible air shapes.

In the installation environment, it is comprised of a number of pipes of different lengths, each containing a microphone, and a speaker assembly generating artificial movement beneath the pipes. The distance between the speaker and microphones is expressed as microphone feedback. The pitch of the feedback response varies with the spatial properties of each pipe.

acoustic cluster seeks to make audible the normally inaudible material of space. The work employs natural space as an acoustic material representing invisible physical presence in our environment, and makes it possible to experience a series of musical works through the transformation of spatial properties and artificial movement.

organised by Tokyo Arts and Space

photo: Issei Yamagata
videography: Issei Yamagata, Mari Ohno

bio effector

2012
mixed media
W 3420 mm × L 3420 mm × H 2400 mm

This sound installation reveals the immensity of sound in our internal bodies and highlights our inability to hear it.

The installation is comprised of a large sonic space which is affected by the surrounding environment. A membrane is suspended in the gallery. The sound of visitors’ bloodstreams is measured in real-time and the membrane vibrates like a drum in response. The composition’s texture is created by controlling the membrane’s vibration through changing its tension. The piece demonstrates an instrumental space that coexists with the environment, different to conventional musical instruments such as strings or membranophones.

This is an attempt to express the inverted space of our internal bodies. The visitor can experience the body’s internal sound from outside by entering the specific space of this work.

direction, sound : Mari Ohno
structure : Kosuke Nagata

organised by Tokyo Metropolis, The Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, Tokyo Culture Creation Project

material cooperation: Taiyo Kogyo Corporation
production support: ARP Co., Ltd.
sponsors: A&A Co., Ltd., ARP Co., Ltd., Sogo Shikaku Co., Ltd., Synerdyne Inc.

photo: Ryohei Tomita
videography : Ryu Furusawa
model: Toshimichi Miki

speaking clock

2012
electroacoustic composition
8 min. 20 sec.

This work is an electroacousitc composition created with the recordings of speaking clocks in various sites around the world.

A speaking clock is a tool of sonification of “time”, a phenomenon people cannot hear. It has various expressions of time depending on the country or region. In this work, the music mixes various expressions of time, based on the concept of “the expression of time perception”.

Through this work, I attempt to give listeners curious and unique feelings through the same sound experience depending on their cultural background.

image by FILE Festival

floating sound

2011
electroacoustic composition
9 min. 05 sec.

We release extremely subtle sounds from inside our bodies which are hard to perceive. While the sound is made by the body, it cannot be heard because of the limited audible range that a human being can hear. This work is a composition using the sound of the composer’s bloodstream as a sound source. The purpose of this work is to deconstruct and reconstruct the components of personal biological information via computing. These sounds were composed to express another reality beyond the boundary of the animate/inanimate.

technical support: NHK Science & Technology Research Laboratories
photo: Mari Ohno