Dance of Sound
Created for the open-theme competition of the City of Light Festival in Finland, the concept reflects on visual and informational overload by transforming sound into light. Using the principle of cymatics, sound vibrations are translated into visible forms: a vibrating mirror reflects coloured light, creating dynamic patterns that change in response to sound. A key feature is the mixing of different light colours on the reflective surface, resulting in an ever-changing visual experience. Developed with Vince Tass.
Brief
Open call for artists, City of lights Festival, Valonkapunky
Approach
Cymatics - making sound visible through vibration.
Core idea
Laser cymatics as a form of projection: tiny mirrors vibrate and reflect light onto the wall.
Started prototyping with a laser beam
First tests aimed a bare laser module at a wall to see what kind of patterns were even possible.
Tried out standard RGB light
Swapped the laser for an ordinary RGB spotlight to compare how it read on fabric and walls.
Placed multiple mirrors for each colour
Split the beam across several small mirrors, one per colour, to build up a layered pattern.
Built basic hardware with a speaker and adjustable membrane
Combined a speaker, a tensioned membrane and a mirror mount into one adjustable rig.
Dance of Sound was shown at the City of Light Festival in Finland - a first experience of designing for a public, outdoor, collaborative context, and a reminder that the collaboration itself (with Vince) shaped the outcome as much as either of our individual instincts.