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For most of us we only encounter these 'new aural spaces characterised by a
unity of form and content' in new exhibition spaces where sound is an
integral part of a multimedia experience. And, it is actually some of these
spaces that may offer real potential to the sound artist if only their
custodians and designers would realise the fact. Let me give you a 'local'
example.
Living out in the wilds of West Yorkshire is not the most obvious place to
encounter experiments in sound space design but in darkest Doncaster we now
have the Earth Centre, a 50 million pound Millenium project that has
appeared on the site of a redundant coal mine. At the heart of this venture
is 'The Planet Earth Experience' said to convey a simple message: the world
is a wonderful place full of beauty and life. But something is wrong. . . .
the experience claims to be the world's first 'cyberhenge'. For a more
detailed (and poetic) description contact info@earthcentre.org.uk. The
sound scape designed by Bruce Odland of the company 30/70 and is
'interactive' after a fashion. But the space (both inside and outside the
PEE building) and the technological infrastructure is potentially most
exciting. It probably won't surprise you to know that the 'experience' is
completely 'fixed' i.e. there were no plans for it to evolve in any way and
there seems no possibility of this exciting space and its technology
finding its way into the hands of 'other' multimedia artists. And, more
disturbingly, the Earth Centre completely ignored my communication (dated
6.4.99) suggesting the spaces might be used to good effect by sound artists
. . . Remember, this is a project realised almost entirely out of public
monies.
Major rethinking, planning and investment are currently being made in the
area of our museums and exhibition spaces - read Jane Carmichael's
(Imperial War Museum) excellent paper from the CTI's Beyond Art? Colloquium
- http://info.ox.ac.uk/ctitext/beyond/ - so perhaps those of us, like Rolf,
who are concerned about this 'search for imaginative solutions to the
possibilities of real-time interaction between producer and listener',
should encourage the national bodies who look after our artist interests
(like Sonic Arts Network) to be more proactive in promoting the potential
of sound experience to this developing area of public encounter with art,
science and technology.
Nigel Morgan
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Nigel St.Clair Morgan
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