GELUIDKUNSTENAAR
Fedde ten Berge
Klankborden
Interactive Sonic Dining Sessions
(2020-2021) In collaboration with Ildikó Horváth under the umbrella of STEIM an exciting experiment was developed. We produced a very special interactive installation. Four sounding dinner tables, which make all the eating utensils on the table sound musically when approached by hand. I used a dynamic technical design. First, the capacitive field interactions of the visitors are measured by sensors hidden in the table (which in turn are linked to the objects on the table). Then the read values are used to control digitally designed sounds that are based on resonating sounds of the objects on the table. Thus the eating utensils become an instrument.
The audience plays with the eating utensils on the tables on a natural manner while eating. The sounds they produce are coming from their plate using transducer speakers that are mounted under the table. Beside this variations of these sounds are reflected around them through an immersive speaker setup. Not only hearing is stimulated but the vibrations can also be felt in the table and through the bodies of the visitors. The resulting music also travels around the audience across the room. While cleaning the fingers in the specially designed finger bowl Chladni patterns can be seen and felt within the bowl. Ildiko designed special cutlery that has extra weigth in hand and ceramics that resonates very well. Together we already made four complete tables for eight persons in total. This creates a ceremonial, sensory dinner setting in which the audience eats the food in a very special way.
A continuation and expansion of this project in collaboration with music theatre maker Anne Roos Rosa de Carvalho is expected in 2022-2023.