SOUND TOSSING: Audio Devices in the Context of Street Art
Daniel McNamara
By Reinhard Gupfinger and Martin Kaltenbrunner
Backstory
Sound Tossing is the product of Reinhard Gupfinger and Martin Kaltenbrunner's investigation of outlets for sonic expression in the realm of public art and street-art.
Developed at the University of Arts and Industrial Design Linz, the project draws from prior work from Graffiti Research Labs, and Audio Bombing with the intent of communicating ideas with the public about urban culture.
Presented at NIME 2014
Tech
The Urban Cricket design has precedence but there are multiple designs
- Sniffers, which can interpret magnetic or ultrasonic frequencies
- Samplers, for broadcasting a specific audio clip
- Radios, for broadcasting a radio signal
What it Looks Like
Strengths
- Solar powered allows for somewhat simple remote installation
- Conceptually, the projects implemented with the tech are strong
- Sniffers detect mosquito devices and translate the noise to a more audible range
- Urban Crickets introduce the sound of crickets to urban space to reintroduce a familiar comforting noise
- Overall intent is to be more aware of your surroundings
Weaknesses
- Street Art is passé?
- Street Art comes with a lot of baggage and can be interpreted as preachy
- Sustainable power creates technical restrictions
- Technical restrictions limit sound output. This is argued as a positive in the paper, but some environments may physically demand more sound output