$1’s Worth
2016
4 single-channel videos and 3-channel sound installation
Speakers, monitors, drawings, acoustic foam panels
Sound and one video: 120 minutes; three additional videos: 5 minutes 46 seconds, 5 minutes 54 seconds, 4 minutes 46 seconds
Dimensions variable
This project investigates the intangible nature of sound, seeking to materialize its existence by applying measurement units typically associated with physical objects—length, height, and width—to sound. Rather than conforming to traditional acoustic conventions, these dimensions are reimagined through commonly understood concepts—translated respectively into playback duration, pitch, and frequency range. Referencing the pricing model of the U.S. iTunes Store, where all tracks are uniformly priced at $1.29 regardless of their intrinsic variations, I crafted three versions of a “1 dollar’s worth” song. Each version excludes 29 cents’ worth of playback duration, pitch, or frequency range, mimicking the modification of a standardized industrial product.
Three speakers sequentially play soundtracks with adjusted playback duration, pitch, and frequency range. The process of deconstructing these sounds is depicted in a video tutorial format. Sound—an entity that is neithe visual nor tactile and thus challenging to discuss in sensory terms—is reimagined as a material presence through methods conventionally used to measure physical objects.
Motivated by my prior challenges in articulating the mediatic nature of sound within the visually oriented domains of exhibition spaces and institutional frameworks, this work seeks to address those challenges. Adopting a tone of deliberate humor, it uses metaphor to interrogate the physical dimensions of sound, aiming to cultivate a shared, secular understanding of its materiality.
Honorary Mentions in the Sound Art category at the 2017 Prix Ars Electronica
(KR)
2016
4 single-channel videos and 3-channel sound installation
Speakers, monitors, drawings, acoustic foam panels
Sound and one video: 120 minutes; three additional videos: 5 minutes 46 seconds, 5 minutes 54 seconds, 4 minutes 46 seconds
Dimensions variable
This project investigates the intangible nature of sound, seeking to materialize its existence by applying measurement units typically associated with physical objects—length, height, and width—to sound. Rather than conforming to traditional acoustic conventions, these dimensions are reimagined through commonly understood concepts—translated respectively into playback duration, pitch, and frequency range. Referencing the pricing model of the U.S. iTunes Store, where all tracks are uniformly priced at $1.29 regardless of their intrinsic variations, I crafted three versions of a “1 dollar’s worth” song. Each version excludes 29 cents’ worth of playback duration, pitch, or frequency range, mimicking the modification of a standardized industrial product.
Three speakers sequentially play soundtracks with adjusted playback duration, pitch, and frequency range. The process of deconstructing these sounds is depicted in a video tutorial format. Sound—an entity that is neithe visual nor tactile and thus challenging to discuss in sensory terms—is reimagined as a material presence through methods conventionally used to measure physical objects.
Motivated by my prior challenges in articulating the mediatic nature of sound within the visually oriented domains of exhibition spaces and institutional frameworks, this work seeks to address those challenges. Adopting a tone of deliberate humor, it uses metaphor to interrogate the physical dimensions of sound, aiming to cultivate a shared, secular understanding of its materiality.
Honorary Mentions in the Sound Art category at the 2017 Prix Ars Electronica
(KR)
#1-4 Installation View at Leeum: Samsung Museum of Art, Seoul (Photo by Hyo Jung Ahn)
#5 Video Still (by YoungEun Kim)