In the contemporary art scene, and thanks to the rise of new technologies, we face a situation of constant experimentation and research into new artistic possibilities and forms. One of them is the branch of sound, which has gained presence in the creative world in the last few years.
The students of the Master of European Design Labs and the Master of Product Design Labs had the chance to enjoy the workshop Music Experience with the renowned sound artist, designer and electronica musician Yuri Suzuki.
Yuri, who was born in Tokyo in 1980, develops his interest in music and technology and produces works which explore the realms of sound through exquisitely designed pieces. His work poses questions on the relationship between sound and people and the way in which music and sound affect our minds.
One of his best projects is OTOTO, a music-making kit, which is easy and fun and allows for sounds to be created from nothing. Using the electronic kit you can build anything from a piano made from vegetables to a silver foil keyboard. It is an object which lets your imagination run free and turns the world into a music box available to all of us.
With this same product, the Japanese artist visited the Masters of Design and Innovation and presented the students with the challenge of creating musical experiences. The students had to research into and develop interesting projects using their imagination and creativity in order to build their own music boxes.
The workshop was given with the idea of opening the minds of the young creatives to the new possibilities offered by sound and new technologies when they are questioned, leading to unexpected results.
The students presented their fellow students and teachers with their projects, which played with the properties of materials, human interaction on those objects and even for knowledge around sound experiences.