HUM – a kinetic theatre for the BAC Foyer by Ray Lee
BAC, Lavender Hill London SW11 5TN
Until the end of October 2011
In the open area above the grand staircase a series of motors are suspended from the ceiling to a height of approximately three meters from the stairs. Activated by the presence of the audience, centrifugal force spins out three small loudspeakers that are hung from the motor. Digital sound stores are activated by the movement and emit discrete sounds, each through its own loudspeaker.
Inspired by the sound of bees and insects humming in trees, HUM creates a swirling, throbbing hum of electromagnetic sound and noise.
The Ethometric Museum
The Recital Room, South Hill Park, Bracknell RG12 7PA
6.30 & 8pm on Saturday 8th & Sunday 9th October 2011
£7, Members £6, Conc £5 (45 minutes)
“Ray Lee’s Ethometric Museum is an experience that is gentle, whimsical and resonant with beauty.” The Herald ****
“This is a delightful conceit, explained with deadpan but genuine excitement by the Doctor who steps aside to allow Professor Ray Lee to enter. Slowly and meticulously his white gloved hands twiddle knobs, adjust frequencies and volume, spin metal balls on rotating wheels and build an aural and visual world for us to explore at our own pace.” Total Theatre
“If you’re after something genuinely different, ‘Ethometric Museum’ will take your breath away.” Three Weeks ****
South Hill Park Digital Media Centre: DIGITAL DEVELOPMENTS 2011
Ray Lee Workshop: Magnets, Motors & Motion
Sat/Sun 8/9 October 2011: A hands on weekend workshop guiding you through the creation of a moving kinetic sound machine based on a design by the artist. Experiment with sound transforming electronics applied to the moving parts to create a sonic sculpture.
Siren – LAB30 Augsburg, Germany
27th-29th October 2011
“Gradually the sound builds, producing not so much a chorus of sirens as a pulsating and strangely harmonious chord.
The sensory impact is heightened as the tripod arms start to move – slowly, then more rapidly like a forest of wind turbines that shimmer with invisible music. As you move from one part of the installation to another, individual “instruments” emerge from this virtual orchestra: a resonant bagpipe, an ethereal choir. The sound envelopes you, yet the effect is soothing, not overwhelming.
Finally, the house lights disappear, and the red LED lights on each speaker glow and flit like vibrating fireflies. In this world, the invisible has become visible. We are literally watching sound as it moves through space. For me, the experience was akin to a guided meditation – a carefully choreographed ceremony where science and artistic endeavour unite to create a mesmerising journey into the nature of sound.” The Age, Melbourne
