Aim
Vital Organ is a multimedia-interactive sound installation that explores the lives led by man-made inventions after their designated use is exhausted; an endeavor inspired by the story of a discarded chord-organ. This art-piece contends that the vitality of an invention extends beyond the context of its creation—obsolescence acting as a liberating departure from the predetermined confines of its utility. The notion of the ‘soundscape’—to borrow a concept from acoustic theory—plays a crucial role in understanding the organ’s existence. A soundscape entails every sonic aspect of an acoustic environment, including undesirable sounds—each incidental noise, nonmusical sound, or any sort of air pressure wave created is of equal importance as it coalesces into the world our ear conveys to us. Microphones inside the device will amplify the ambient sounds of its body while interactive mediums parallel its anatomical processes,placing the audience inside the chord-organ. The organ’s essence fills up the installation space so as to enable the audience to bear witness to those soundscapes previously impenetrable by the narrow scope of our perception. Until such a measure is taken, those dimensions of reality that we do not perceive are literally out of sight and out of mind.
The rustic organ will be positioned in the middle of the exhibit, surrounded by other antiquated mechanic devices. These additional devices will be outfitted with a sensor, capable of detecting when an audience member attempts to use the item. When this contact occurs, a signal will be sent to a computer in charge of orchestrating the exhibit’s events. The software will trigger the retro- interfaced device’s performance of its own. This performance will represent various ‘body parts’ pivotal to the function of the instrument. The sensor will also give the device the ability to ‘hear’ when the organ itself is in use and respond; creating a conversation articulated by the unique expressions of each object in the exhibit. All events will combine into an array of visuals, motion picture projections, and sonic activity that suggest that utility is not the sole determinant of an objects worth.
