[ISEA2006] Artists Talk: Nigel Helyer & Daniel Woo – The Art of Science and the Science of Art: The Audionomad

Artists statement

AudioNomad is an interdisciplinary project that explores mobile, location sensitive immersive sound experiences for public art performances. This presentation will be presented as a conversation between Daniel Woo and Nigel Helyer, the two principal collaborators in the AudioNomad R+D project and will examine the philosophical, cultural and scientific elements of their work.

Abstract

AudioNomad is an interdisciplinary project that explores mobile, location sensitive immersive sound experiences for public art performances. This presentation will be presented as a conversation between Daniel Woo and Nigel Helyer, the two principal collaborators in the AudioNomad R+D project and will examine the philosophical, cultural and scientific elements of their work.

The discussion will focus on AudioNomad’s highly imaginative and creative approach to sound composition and sound design in order to highlight the potential of this emergent field of geo-spatially located virtual audio. Unlike conventional sound-design or musical composition, geo-spatially located audio needs to be highly sensitive to its environmental and architectural context as well as to the fundamentally non-linear manner in which the auditor may interact with the content via the position, speed and heading of the auditor in relation to the architectural/urban environment.

Conceptually and sonically, the principal challenge of the AudioNomad project is to develop a ‘compositional’ strategy able to deliver a non-linear but coherent ‘field’ of audio. The system provides possibilities for both (apparently) fixed and mobile audio events, as well as flexible mechanisms for sequencing sound files in a variety of ways.

Another significant conceptual challenge will be discussed is the need to re-conceptualise sonic events in the mould of a topology, thus escaping the view of the world (and of sound composition) which is ‘object’ oriented ~ but rather moving towards one which is relational and inextricably connected ? both through both spatial and temporal axes.

  • Nigel Helyer, a.k.a. Dr. Sonique, Australia: Sculptor, sound artist, visiting Professor at Stanford University; Artist in Residence at the Paul Scherrer Institut in Switzerland; a fellow of the Australia Council for 2002/3; winner of the Helen Lempriere National Sculpture Award 2002 and curator of “Sonic-Differences” (Biennale of Electronic Arts Perth) 2004.
  • Dr. Daniel Woo, Australia, is responsible for Human Computer Interaction teaching and research in the School of Computer Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales.