Sounding Microcosmos

Serkan Sevilgen, and Ipek Oskay

Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression

Abstract

The proposed sound installation aims to investigate the relationship between humans and the environment through technology and music. Biodiversity loss is usually underlined as the result of climate change while mycorrhizae networks and phytoplankton are the main organisms responsible for carbon reduction (sequestration) and dependent on the protection of animals, land, and flora in their habitat. Similarly, these organisms have never attracted or common governmental sense attention as species for common good, not even as species under threat. Our work on various colonies of micro individuals – i.e fungi (including mold) and algae, as sourdough, mother of vinegar, food mold, and so on – underlines the external conditions that stress themselves and consequently our ecosystem. Every organism has a definite range of light, humidity, heat, and noise levels as ideal livable conditions. Beyond such levels, they respond with a stress reaction. In our work, the micro-level living organisms serve as a musical interface via a GSR (Galvanic Skin Response) sensor which is usually used to detect changes in human emotional states. With the GSR sensor, we can follow slight variations in electrical resistance in the environment that micro-organisms reside. An Arduino board collects the data from the sensor and transmits it to the computer with Python code. Remote OSC handles the sending of the data to the web-based sound installation platform. On the web application, the Csound-based digital instruments wait for the incoming data to perform sonification in real-time and in the browser without any audio streaming between the data source and audience. The audience goes to the URL of the web application and they will not need to install any software or make any changes to their computer/browser settings. The web app will also include the documentation of the project with images, video, and text.

Citation

Serkan Sevilgen, and Ipek Oskay. 2022. Sounding Microcosmos. Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression. DOI: 10.21428/92fbeb44.a6fa6498 [PDF]

BibTeX Entry

@inproceedings{nime20202_installations_5,
 abstract = {The proposed sound installation aims to investigate the relationship between humans and the environment through technology and music. Biodiversity loss is usually underlined as the result of climate change while mycorrhizae networks and phytoplankton are the main organisms responsible for carbon reduction (sequestration) and dependent on the protection of animals, land, and flora in their habitat. Similarly, these organisms have never attracted or common governmental sense attention as species for common good, not even as species under threat.  Our work on various colonies of micro individuals – i.e fungi (including mold) and algae,   as sourdough, mother of vinegar, food mold, and so on – underlines the external conditions that stress themselves and consequently our ecosystem. Every organism has a definite range of light, humidity, heat, and noise levels as ideal livable conditions. Beyond such levels, they respond with a stress reaction. In our work, the micro-level living organisms serve as a musical interface via a GSR (Galvanic Skin Response) sensor which is usually used to detect changes in human emotional states. With the GSR sensor, we can follow slight variations in electrical resistance in the environment that micro-organisms reside. An Arduino board collects the data from the sensor and transmits it to the computer with Python code. Remote OSC handles the sending of the data to the web-based sound installation platform. On the web application, the Csound-based digital instruments wait for the incoming data to perform sonification in real-time and in the browser without any audio streaming between the data source and audience. The audience goes to the URL of the web application and they will not need to install any software or make any changes to their computer/browser settings. The web app will also include the documentation of the project with images, video, and text.},
 address = {Auckland, New Zealand},
 articleno = {5},
 author = {Serkan Sevilgen and Ipek Oskay},
 booktitle = {Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression},
 doi = {10.21428/92fbeb44.a6fa6498},
 editor = {Meg Schedel and Paul Dunham},
 issn = {2220-4806},
 month = {jun},
 title = {Sounding Microcosmos},
 track = {Installations},
 url = {https://doi.org/10.21428/92fbeb44.a6fa6498},
 year = {2022}
}