Zen Garden,2024

Zen Garden Interactive piece / Metal, glass, contact microphones, light, wood, speakers, Max MSP, interface, computer, tissue.

 

In a place where there is neither a lake nor a stream, one can put in place a dry landscape. Or something that is like a table pretending to be a zen garden where the sand is in another state. Because at some point (who knows when and where) glass will return to sand. Zen; emphasizes simplicity, self-discipline, and the importance of meditation to find one's true self. A river of white sand can represent a metaphorical journey through life. In this zen garden, the river is a pound and is not white. A pause, unclear as to where we are going. Feel free to play, and find the-your true self in the pond of recyclable glass!

 

Through the interplay of sound, space, and symbolism, this piece serves as both a reflection and a catalyst for contemplation, urging the examination of our relationship with the world in a new light. The glass used in this piece is recycled, proposing a reconsideration of the material that surrounds us daily. How do we treat it? How aware are we of it? How much do we engage with it?

 

The symbolism of glass reflects both the transition of matter and living beings (from sand to sand). I like to think that matter is also alive and in an intrinsic vibrance with us. That’s why I believe it's important to resist merely using things and throwing them away. Even the general flow is going in the other direction, seeking the better version or the more efficient one. Like Timothy Morton, I think we should not seek this and shift it to consciousness and acceptance.

 

Sounds resonate in the materials, as in us, changing course and velocity of propagation. Therefore everything we move affects the whole configuration. This piece creates different auditory spaces using the same materials, employing various configurations of the sound through; resonances, reverberations, echoes, filters, feedback, transpositions, etc., which change over time. The physical space of the object, initially represented by each corner aligning with the speakers, gradually evolves. Thus, people can discover new configurations not only in sound but also in space as they play the piece.