Gruppo Làbun
MU.SH.Room
(MUsical SHeets Room)
Stanza interattiva dedicata a John Cage
Interactive room dedicated to John Cage
DOCUMENTATION
Gruppo Làbun
MU.SH.Room
(MUsical SHeets Room)
Il titolo, scherzoso riferimento alla
grande passione per i funghi di John
Cage, è in realtà un acronimo che svela
la natura dell’opera in questione. Il lavoro
è infatti una stanza interattiva nella quale
una moltitudine di fogli virtuali cadono da
un grosso scatolone appeso al soffitto.
Ciò avviene grazie al pubblico, che per
interagire deve lanciare palline di spugna
contro lo scatolone stesso per farlo
oscillare.
Ogni
foglio
mostra
come
immagine una foto scelta da un database
in continuo aggiornamento, al quale gli
stessi visitatori possono contribuire,
mandando via Bluetooth immagini dal
proprio cellulare.
L’accumulo dei fogli virtuali sul
pavimento genera un ammasso cartaceo
che viene a sua volta continuamente
analizzato da un indice, generando in
questo modo un inviluppo che controlla
alcuni parametri applicati su una
sorgente audio: un microfono che
raccoglie in diretta il paesaggio sonoro
esterno.
Su questo imaginary landscape si
stagliano, nei momenti di interazione,
brevi frammenti tratti da “Fontana Mix”,
brano di Cage composto
estraendo
in
modo
casuale pezzi di nastro
da uno scatolone.
Come succedeva
nel celebre brano di Cage
intitolato 4’33’’, anche qui
è
il
pubblico
a
determinare il contenuto
dell’opera; inoltre, l’utente
prende
parte
alla
definizione della forma
stessa, in maniera più o
meno consapevole e, in
ogni
caso,
filtrata
dall’alea.
The title is a tongue in cheek
reference to John Cage’s great passion
for mushrooms. In reality it is an acronym
revealing the nature of the work itself,
which is in fact an interactive room inside
which a multitude of virtual sheets of
paper fall from a big box suspended from
the ceiling. This takes place thanks to the
public who, in order to interact, has to
throw small foam rubber balls at the box
to make it swing.
Each sheet displays a photograph
chosen from a constantly updated
database, to which the visitor can himself
contribute, by sending images via
Bluetooth from their own mobile
telephone.
The accumulation of virtual sheets
on the floor creates a paper pile which is
constantly analysed itself, from an index,
thus creating an envelope which controls
part of the parameters applied to a sound
source: a microphone which picks up,
live, the external soundscape.
On this imaginary landscape,
during the interactive moments, brief
fragments of John Cage’s “Fontana Mix”
– composed by the extraction of random
lengths of tape from a large box – stand
out.
Here, as was
already the case
with Cage’s famous
piece entitled 4’33”,
it is the public which
determines
the
contents
of
the
opera; moreover, the
user participates in
the definition of the
form itself in a more
or less conscious
manner but, in any
case, filtered by
chance.
Gruppo Làbun
MU.SH.Room (MUsical SHeets Room)
interactive room dedicated to John Cage
Technical specifications and installation plan
1)
2)
3)
VIDEO PROJECTOR. A rear projection onto the projection screen (2).
PROJECTION SCREEN.
COMPUTER equipped with windows XP, used to control video data. This computer is
linked via Ethernet to the Linux computer (4) and via MIDI to the Intel Mac computer; it
sends video data to the projector (1).
4) COMPUTER equipped with Linux Ubuntu. Connected to (3) via Ethernet. It is used as a
free-access Bluetooth server. It is equipped with a Bluetooth device (5).
5) A BLUETOOTH DEVICE is used to receive images sent by the users (6) and update the
image database in the Linux computer (4).
6) USERS can interact by throwing foam rubber balls (7) against the box hanging from the
ceiling (8). Furthermore they can participate to the image database by sending their
cellphone pictures to the Bluetooth device (5).
7) Several FOAM RUBBER BALLS can be found on the floor and may be used by the visitors
for interaction (6).
8) A BOX hanging from the ceiling is equipped with a Nintendo Wii Remote controller,
connected to the Intel Mac computer (9) via Bluetooth. The Wii controller is used to track
the oscillation of the box.
9) INTEL MAC COMPUTER equipped with Bluetooth in order to receive data from the
Nintendo Controller (8). A 2-way MIDI connection is used to exchange data with the
Windows computer (3). The Intel Mac computer is equipped with an audio interface (at
least 1 in and 4 out) that allows the input and output of sound data. As an audio input, a
mic (10) feeds the installation with a live “cocktail-party” soundscape taken from outside. As
an output, processed sound is sent to four speakers (11).
10) MIC placed in a crowded place outside the installation, sending live audio to the Intel Mac
computer (9).
11) FOUR AUDIO SPEAKERS output the processed sound coming from (9).
Requirements
1 Computer PC Windows XP. Minimum Requirements: Centrino Duo 1.66 GHz, Graphic Card
512 Mb, 1 GB Ram + MIDI interface 1 in and 1 out.
1 Computer PC, Linux Ubuntu installed, equipped with Bluetooth.
1 Computer Intel Mac equipped with Bluetooth.
1 Sound card, at least 1 (or more, according to the number of mics used)audio input and 4 audio
outputs, MIDI in and OUT.
At least 100 foam rubber balls.
1 large cardboard box.
1 video projector + projection screen for rear projections.
4 audio speakers, at least 150 W each.
1 (or more) shotgun or surround mic.
2 MIDI cables, one Ethernet cable, other cables as needed.
Power and audio cables as needed.
Black sheets and tape as needed.
N.B. The room (at least around 6 x 4 x 3 meters; in case of smaller length, a front projection
version will be installed) should become dark and there should be the possibility to hang the
cardboard box to the ceiling. There should be the possibility to safely place one or more mics
outside the installation, in a crowded place. Please take into consideration the amount of audio
cables needed to connect the mic to the computer.
Please note that most of the material may be provided by Gruppo Làbun.