Capacitive Body

source: gloweindhovennl

In Capacitive Body maken de Duitse kunstenaars Martin Hesselmeier en Andreas Muxel dit onhoorbare geluid niet hoorbaar, maar zichtbaar. Hij heeft draden gespannen die licht geven wanneer er stroom doorheen loopt. Deze draden zijn verbonden aan sensoren die het omgevingsgeluid registreren. Zijn er weinig lage frequenties, dan lichten de draden slechts af en toe op. Bij veel trillingen, bijvoorbeeld wanneer er veel verkeer is, volgen de flitsen elkaar sneller op. Het netwerk van draden lijkt een elektrisch zenuwstelsel te vormen, waarin de spanning steeds verder oploopt. Uiteindelijk raakt het systeem overbelast, waarna het in elkaar stort en de cyclus opnieuw begint.
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source: martinhesselmeier

The installation “capacitive body” is a modular light system that reacts to the sound of its environment. Each custom built module consists of an electroluminescent light wire linked to a piezoelectric sensor and a microcontroller. Through its modular setup it can easily be adapted to various urban spaces.
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source: archiveandreasmuxel

The installation „capacitive body“ is a modular light system that reacts to the sound of its environment. Each custom built module consists of an electroluminescent light wire linked to a piezoelectric sensor and a microcontroller. Through its modular setup it can easily be adapted to various urban spaces. The sensors are used to measure vibrations of architectural solids in a range of low frequencies. These oscillations are triggered by surrounding ambient noise, for example traffic noise. The sensor data controls the light wires, which are tensed to a spatial net structure. According to the values of the measurement light flashes are generated. With increasing vibrations the time between flashes becomes shorter and shorter. The stability of this nervous system gets to an end where it collapses and restarts again. A dynamic light space is thereby created, which creates a visual feedback of the aural activity around the installation. This project was done toghether with Martin Hesselmeier.
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source: ilaaeu

In 2002 Martin Hesselmeier received a Diploma in Communication Design from the University of Applied Sciences, academy of arts and design Mannheim and in 2007 a Diploma in Audio-Visual Media at the Academy of Media Arts Cologne as a postraduate student. His focus is on reactive installations with the limits of human perception. The questioning of the credibility of mediated content and the blurring of boundaries between reality and virtuality. His work has been shown in many institutes and international festivals of media art.

In 2004 Andreas Muxel received a diploma in Media Communication Design from the University of Applied Sciences Vorarlberg, Austria. Between 2004 and 2007 he worked as an interaction designer for the MARS-Exploratory Media Lab at the Fraunhofer Institute for Media Communication. In 2008 he finished his postgraduate studies at the Academy of Media Arts Cologne. In his artistic work he is interested in the intersection of digital code and physical material. His projects has been shown at many international festivals of media art.