Memo is an installation about the contrast between transience and apparent permanence of memories of the deceased.
A diffuse-sounding voice recording is transmitted spatially via laser light.
Concept
Memories of deceased loved ones may appear tangible and realistic but are often incomplete, continuously changing and always subjective. The voice recording of a close person represents the starting point of the installation. As such the digital recording is but a trace of the individual. Yet it evokes lively memories and also mixes with them.
Data transmission
The installation consists of five steles that are part of a free-space optical communication. A transmitter generates a laser that is modulated by the audio signal of the voice recording. The light is scattered in glass cubes filled with water, revealing the data transmission as a beam. Finally, the laser reaches a receiver, making the recording audible.
Sound
The audio track has been modified through time-stretching. Although the voice is recognizable, the words remain incomprehensible. As a result, the meaning of the content becomes less important, while timbre and intonation appear more prominent.
Laser, Glas, Water, Sound, Aluminium, Steel
675 × 75 × 300 cm
Graduation work (Meisterschüler)
Created at Dresden University of Fine Arts
Supervision: Carsten Nicolai, Nicole Vögele, Ringo Jarke
Photos: Niklas Thran
675 × 75 × 300 cm
Graduation work (Meisterschüler)
Created at Dresden University of Fine Arts
Supervision: Carsten Nicolai, Nicole Vögele, Ringo Jarke
Photos: Niklas Thran
The work was made possible thanks to the great support of LaserAnimation Sollinger Berlin.
The work was supported by Nina Behnisch, Ohad Ben Moshe, Daniel Burgmann, Deve Draser, Lukas Esser, Laura Krogh Fogt, Uwe Gönnert, Markus Heckmann, Sherry Heckmann, Moritz Jansen, Patrick Kaspar, Jacob Korn, Jana Lütkewitte, Georgianna Manafa, Manuel Minniti, Lutz Niemeyer, Adrian Pfisterer, Felix Schäfer, Stefan Schleupner, Ute Schimmelpfennig, Heidi Schwarz, Michael Sollinger, Niklas Thran, Luisa Roth and Luisa Wörn.
Manufacturing: Liboh Metallwerkstatt GmbH
The work was supported by Nina Behnisch, Ohad Ben Moshe, Daniel Burgmann, Deve Draser, Lukas Esser, Laura Krogh Fogt, Uwe Gönnert, Markus Heckmann, Sherry Heckmann, Moritz Jansen, Patrick Kaspar, Jacob Korn, Jana Lütkewitte, Georgianna Manafa, Manuel Minniti, Lutz Niemeyer, Adrian Pfisterer, Felix Schäfer, Stefan Schleupner, Ute Schimmelpfennig, Heidi Schwarz, Michael Sollinger, Niklas Thran, Luisa Roth and Luisa Wörn.
Manufacturing: Liboh Metallwerkstatt GmbH