[ISEA2022] Paper: Hedy Hurban — A Sonic Exploration of Spanish Flamenco and the Whirling Dervishes of Turkey with Wearable Technology

Abstract

Full Paper. Session: Futures and Heritages / Sonic experimentations

Keywords: Wearable technology, performance, sonic art, digital art, cultural dance

The work explores augmenting traditional forms of dance such as flamenco and the sacred whirling of Turkish dervishes with a wearable musical body instrument.

Humans have gone to great lengths in recent years to augment their bodies with wearable technology using commercial devices such as smart phones, watches, and jewelry. Wearable technology has also been incrementally shaping the future of the performing and fine arts. This research explores creating a device that can be worn on clothing or costumes that performers can interact with as a digital musical instrument. This device can be used as an extension to the body with built-in sensor systems and haptic vibrations for producing sounds. The work draws from multidisciplinary practices including, sound and music, digital technology, costume design, body movement combined with traditional forms of cultural practices. Creating and expressing sounds using gestures and body movements can allow the performer/wearer to engage in a more interactive movement experience. The practices of Spanish Andalusian Flamenco and the Mevlevi Dervishes of Turkey are inspirations for creating a performance with these devices that will morph these styles by creating historical links through music and sound, body movements and gestures. These devices will track specific movements while emitting sound compositions that are related to music performed in these traditions. The experience will be an embodied one; a new way of performing with sound that can entrance both the wearer and the audience. https://www.firoza.co.uk

  • Hedy (Hédi) Hurban is a designer of costumes, wearable technology, and a composer of electronic music. She is working towards her PhD at University of Plymouth (U.K.) where she is designing wearable technology body instruments to be used in new performance practices. Hedy has taught in several institutions across the globe including the Art Institute of Toronto, Canada, National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) in Hyderabad, India, Sehir University, Istanbul, Turkey and as an Associate Lecturer at the University of Plymouth. She has designed the costumes for the operas Lampedusa (2019 Plymouth, UK) and The Mother of Fishes (2020 Pittsburgh, USA). She has a BFA in Visual Arts from York University in Toronto and a ResM in Computer Music from the University of Plymouth (UK). She is the music composer on several short films such as, Grand Theatre and Picture Palace, Bees Mecanique, and feature films Salaat and Deccani Souls. https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/staff/hedy-hurban