Lunar Resonance: An Interweaving of Sound, Light, and Water is a collaborative project between new media artist Xung (Sunghyun Jang) and experimental viola composer TiWen Hsu. This immersive installation combines live performance, advanced sound manipulation, and intricate visual elements to create a unique sensory experience that explores the profound interplay between natural phenomena and technological innovation.
Location: Building 10a, Nolan Park, Governors Island
Date: Sunday August 4, 2024
Start Time: 2:45 pm Duration: 40 minutes
In the first part of Lunar Resonance : An Interweaving of Sound, Light, and Water TiWen Hsu uses Max/MSP Audio Mesh, a medium for visualizing sound. The lines on the projection screen are transformed with the flow of music, creating unique shapes. In addition to the live improvisation on the viola, the violist interacts with the water sensors, generating live improvised electronic sounds.
In the second part, TiWen Hsu’s 15-minute live viola performance breathes life into Xung’s sculpture Moon Halo, a work that seamlessly blends light, water, reflection, and cymatics to convey the rhythmic energy. Utilizing Max/MSP, a visual programming language for music and multimedia, TiWen’s viola sounds are manipulated in real-time. This manipulation allows for an exploration of the viola’s tonal range and transforms it into a symphony of resonant frequencies that interact with the Moon Halo sculpture.
The manipulated sound waves are transmitted through transducer speakers to a layer of water within the Moon Halo sculpture. This process creates cymatics—visual representations of sound vibrations in the water. These patterns are in constant flux, reacting to the nuances of TiWen’s performance and the manipulated soundscapes produced by Max/MSP.
As these patterns shift and change, they generate a lively, rainbow-colored reflection projected onto the surrounding walls. The interaction between sound and water results in an ever-evolving display of light and color, reminiscent of a moonbow or lunar rainbow. This phenomenon, a rare and beautiful occurrence in nature, is emulated within the installation space, creating a mesmerizing visual experience for visitors.
Through Lunar Resonance Xung and TiWen Hsu aim to explore the fundamentality of technological devices in replicating and enhancing natural phenomena. By engaging visitors in a dialogue with the imitated natural world, the installation invites contemplation on the subtle yet profound ways the Moon influences life on Earth. It is an exploration of the interconnectedness of sound, light, and water, and their collective impact on our being in the present moment.This project also serves as a meditation on the harmony between nature and technology. In an age where technology often distances us from the natural world, “Lunar Resonance” seeks to bridge that gap, offering a space where visitors can reconnect with the elemental forces that shape our existence.
Artist Bios
Xung :
Instagram _ @doraxung
Xung (Sunghyun Jang) is a new media artist based in New York City pursuing degree in MFA Photography, Video, and Related Media at School of Visual Arts. His focuses on creating moments to bring awareness to our present existence, and explore about the forms of relationship between technology, nature and human in shifting world by interweaving aural and visual experiences.
Ti Wen Hsu :
Instagram _ @steplabyrinth
Ti Wen Hsu, hailing from Taipei, Taiwan, has been immersed in classical music from a young age. She graduated from Fu Jen Catholic University with a degree in music and is currently pursuing an MFA in Sound Art at Brooklyn College, part of the City University of New York. Her dedication to her craft was recognized when she was awarded the Autumn 2023 Brooklyn College Scholarship.
Her recent works predominantly involve the collection of urban street sounds, which she skillfully combines with MAX/MSP, electronic soundscapes, and instrument performances. One of her notable pieces, “DrumCity,” was selected for the UK Noise Floors 2023 competition. In the years 2022 and 2023, Ti Wen Hsu participated in numerous live performances in New York. Beyond composing and performing, she has also worked as a recording engineer for jazz trios and various student projects. Some highlights from her recent work include:
- 2023: Interactive music performance for viola titled “SeeTi Bike” at Brooklyn Four One Four.
- 2023: Inclusion of “DrumCity” in the NoiseFloor 2023 event.
- 2023: Sound experiment and interactive music performance titled “Sonic and Food, Chinese culture made in the USA” at Scorpion Records.
- 2022: Interactive music performance for viola at the Brooklyn College Music Hall Buchwald Theater.
- 2021: An experimental electronic music concert titled “Supernatural Everyday” with a blend of electronic music, electroacoustic elements, viola, pan flute, and VJ.
