"SoundARt", Seven audio stations in Augmented Reality

"SoundARt" is a new type of listening station, which was developed for the exhibition Sound Art. Sound as a Medium of Art at the ZKM. A collection of audio pieces visualized via Augmented Reality was selected for the installation: Each work was assigned not only its own physical presence, but also a virtual one: Augmented Reality markers are placed on a black beam 30 meters long and two meters wide at a distance of approximately one meter. The design of the beam is based on the display of an analogue radio. A total of 60 augmented reality markers are located to the right and left of the frequency scale placed in the middle. They are divided into seven thematic areas or genres that are elementary for sound art.

On site, visitors can borrow iPads with headphones. The audio pieces are literally brought to life: If the visitor grasps a marker with an iPad, a real-time visualization of the audio piece flows out of the marker, which is based on representations of electromagnetic waves. The sound pressure of the two audio tracks determines the elliptical shape of the dynamic sound column. If you hold the iPad directly into this sound beam, the audio piece sounds at full volume. The iPad is the pickup of the radio station that scans the frequency.

Concept: Bernd Lintermann, Julia Gerlach, Peter Weibel
Curators: soundscape (Björn Gottstein), musique concrète (Rudolf Frisius), radiokunst (Frank Halbig), radioartemobile (Luca Vitiello), intermedium (Herbert Kapfer, Katarina Agathos), electronica (Björn Gottstein), noise (Björn Gottstein)
Editor: Theresa Nink
Software: Bernd Lintermann
Interface housing design: Matthias Gommel
Technical coordination: Manfred Hauffen