Baltimore-based artists Shannon Collis and Liz Donadio combine their backgrounds in photography, digital video, and sound installation to create works that explore public spaces, uncovering details of their past, present, and possible futures. Collaborating since 2016, their work has been exhibited locally and regionally in museums and galleries such as Arlington Arts Center, Current Space, the Institute of Contemporary Art Baltimore, InLight Richmond, and the Walters Art Museum. Their print series Concrete/Complex is in the collection of the Albin O.
strikeWare members are Mollye Bendell, Christopher Kojzar and Jeffrey L. Gangwisch. Together, we work and play with virtual and augmented realities, time-based media, customized hardware, digital fabrication, and interactive media.
Bomani Armah is a Hip Hop artist, writer, educator, and family man. Born in Washington D.C. and raised in Prince George's County, Maryland, Bomani's goal is to "Honor the Ancestors, Prepare the Descendants and Love Right Now." Bomani has released four Hip Hop albums, including "Bomani Armah is the Watermelon Man." He is best known for his 2007 viral crunk hit "Read a Book," which aired on BET's 106th & Park.
The Book of Knowledge of Impractical Musical Devices
Loosely based on the 12th century Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices by the Islamic engineer Al-Jazari, this project was focused on the design and development of three experimental sonic objects and musical instruments that each took a conceptual limitation to a logical conclusion, thereby raising questions about the place of digital media, sound, and technology in our lives.
Volume 1 is a rhythm generator which changes patterns every day. It uses a sound library that was itself recorded in a single day. The previous day’s patterns will never be recreated.
Volume 2 is a GPS-based granular synthesizer. It will sound different depending on where it is in the world, as most of the parameters are set by the GPS data.
Volume 3 is a listening device which slowly, but permanently, destroys the sound that it contains. The only copy of the recording is in this device, so each time it is played it is simultaneously lost forever.
The project is fully open source, conceptually and technically. Each volume is accompanied by an essay detailing the idea behind the design, as well as a full set of technical resources for building your own.
Volume 1 is a rhythm generator which changes patterns every day. It uses a sound library that was itself recorded in a single day. The previous day’s patterns will never be recreated.
Volume 2 is a GPS-based granular synthesizer. It will sound different depending on where it is in the world, as most of the parameters are set by the GPS data.
Volume 3 is a listening device which slowly, but permanently, destroys the sound that it contains. The only copy of the recording is in this device, so each time it is played it is simultaneously lost forever.
The project is fully open source, conceptually and technically. Each volume is accompanied by an essay detailing the idea behind the design, as well as a full set of technical resources for building your own.
Medium: Sound Art
Year: 2019