FLY, by SAMUEL VISCOSI

I am a media artist and sound designer with a BFA in Interrelated Media from Massachusetts College of Art and Design. My work centers around an interest in art, music, and science, with a focus on sound’s ability to inform and shape human behavior through affect and association. Similarly, I am interested in the way technology reflects and augments human behavior. With this project, I’ve combined all my interests into one unified installation, setting the stage for visitors to enact change and craft their own experiences. 

FLY. is an interactive album release and exhibit presented by Godine Family Gallery. This exhibition is my way of celebrating the release of my album whilst creating a space to further examine topics such as: growth, identity, impermanence, loss, reflection, and uncertainty. Microcontrollers and ultrasonic sensors translate viewers movement into changes in the environment, presenting each person with an experience which directly reflects their behavior via sound installation and video projection. As people move throughout the gallery, they alter aspects of the sound and video, including pitch and timbre. 

An analogue video synthesizer is projection mapped to the main gallery wall, framed by two parallel lines of drape. Control voltages produced by an analogue modular synthesizer affect the projection, creating a uniform response. Alongside these global shifts, audio samples are triggered whenever viewers walk within a specified range. 

Three microcontrollers and ultrasonic sensors are set on the gallery floor. Ableton Live, Max for Live, and Processing IDE parse incoming data on three computers concealed behind the drape line. Ableton Live sums all audio; Max for Live scales data and assigns that value to a VST parameter of choice via Ableton; and Processing IDE functions as a sampler. The samples triggered by Processing are fed back into Ableton Live, and then into the modular synthesizer, providing continuity between the otherwise disparate samples and the projection.

My design process is incremental and iterative, with moodboards, scale models, and sketches being frequent, crucial steps. I spent the last year meeting with colleagues and professors seeking advice and peer review. Eventually, the culmination of information and insight provided me with the proper tools and foundation to build my exhibit. 

From its inception, this project has faced many constraints which have shaped its outcome. Thus, the install process primarily involved subduing and refining the exhibit to fit within each constraint. I commissioned three artists to help convey my ideas. Projectionist, Max Ryan, installed and mapped the projector to the gallery wall; graphic designer, Andrew Ryder, created a flier and invitation to promote the exhibit; and photographer, Nick Ortoleva, documented the opening reception. 

The intent with this exhibit is to invite people into a call and response, predicating their experiences on their own autonomy. As we become further married to our technology, I want to create work which reminds viewers of the way our creations reflect the human condition. Having lost my grandfather within the same month of receiving my BFA, I felt both accomplished and defeated - experiencing growth and loss as one mix of emotions. As I dealt with the loss of my grandfather, I began reflecting on all the individuals who have guided me at some point in life.