sound crystal

interactive sonic sculpture / generative archive / music instrument

2022
CCA Berlin – Center for Contemporary Arts

Sound Crystal is an interactive public space sculpture and a music instrument exploring the sonic potential of listening and collaboration via a generative sound archive.

The sculpture draws on the early history of radio and refers to a crystal radio receiver using only the radio signal itself to power the transmission. While simultaneously transmitting FM and AM radio channels the sculpture can be activated when touched and triggers either a particular sound that can be uploaded online via a mobile phone or tunes into a range of local and international broadcasts.

Blurring boundaries between localities and individuals and being playfully polyphonic, Sound Crystal is simultaneously a tuning and listening exercise exploring, reflecting and provoking unexpected collaborative relationships emerging through the interactions with the sculpture.

The open protocol of the work is flexible to create pop-up sonic laboratories for workshops, performances, public programs and interventions.

The work was introduced in the framework of Fedir Tetyanych Everywhere Is My Endless Body at the CCA Berlin

Sound Crystal, structural design: Byron Kalomamas 
Sound Crystal Electronics: Mohammed Rowe 
Sound Crystal is co-produced by Zone2Source, Amsterdam, as a part of the RE:TUNE exhibition

Photographs: Marthe Vos (z2s) Micki Rosi (CCA)