Output details

Audio Accompaniment

‘Audio Accompaniment’ extends Hooker’s previous investigations into making cosmic ray activity tangible – ‘Timeline’ (RAE2008) and ‘Timeline 2’ (AntArctica) (REF2014). By using a MIDI-controlled ‘Clavinova’ grand piano that is triggered ‘live’ by cosmic ray particles to play a never-ending sequence of notes, this installation explores how to render an intangible and invisible scientific event both visible and audible.

Inspired by John Cage and his notion of chance, this installation transforms cosmic ray activity into a sonic event by connecting a Geiger counter, laptop, and midi-device with a grand piano. While the pitches and note clusters were composed and programmed by Hooker, the order in which they occur and the silence in between each occurrence are left entirely to chance, determined by the cosmic ray activity on that day. Alluding to both Cage’s thoughts on belief systems and gothic notions of the Fantastic through the creation of a ‘performance-without-performer’, this output fuses an exploration of the uncanny and of mortality, alongside an investigation into concepts derived from physics and astronomy, to create an installation that produces a sense of awe and which has an unnerving, almost ghostly effect.

Developing out of an AHRC and DTI Networking Grant led by Hooker (2006), ‘Audio Accompaniment’ was exhibited at the De La Warr Pavillion as part of the Cage exhibition, ‘Every Day is a Good Day’ (2011). Hooker’s installation was broadcast live on the gallery webpage and accompanied by an artist’s talk and interview (available on Vimeo). The modified midi-piano was developed and supplied by Yamaha UK. The output has led to Hooker`s current involvement with the Royal Meteorological Society’s Special Interest Group on Weather, Art and Music, which includes scientists from the Met Office together with artists such as Gavin Pretor-Pinney and Professor John Thornes.

SEE DIGITAL PORTFOLIO.