artintelligence

As this blog was not in existence last year I will try to catch up on some of the most interesting things I saw at Ars Electronica 2006. One of the most outstanding works was Kaffe Matthews’ Sonic Bed.

SEE VIDEO (preferably watch with headphones) The deeply sensuous immersion of Matthews’ Sonic Bed offers a trance-like corporeal, audio experience that transcends current visual-aesthetic frameworks. It points the discussion towards the inherently immersive quality of music in contrast to the enforced distance that is a key characteristic of museum-bound visual art. This work is installation art at its best because it invites genuine participation. Like Carsten Holler’s slide works (Tate) what is most important is not some recondite narrative hidden from view in other to make the viewer feel unintelligent, instead Sonic Bed is about a corporeal experience. More than that, rushing down one of Holler’s slides at high speed is certainly exciting but lying on the Sonic Bed is an other-worldly experience. I didn’t want to get out of it, but there was a queue. Matthews reports that she sometimes goes to sleep in the Sonic Bed.

Under the mattress of Sonic Bed there lies a network of loudspeakers including six very large subwoofers that produce very low frequencies that penetrate the body.  When one lies in the bed the subsonic vibrations create a variety of responses depending upon the individual.  Many people find the experience extremely relaxing, some people find the experience unnerving (Video 2)