Resonance

Resonancewas inspired by Luke Jerram's research trip to Iran where he saw the wind towers of Yadz, and interviewed a Qanat well digger in Esfahan. The well digger spoke of the desert wells singing in the wind.

With seed funding from ISVR, Resonance is an investigation into acoustics, wind and architecture. One output from the research will be a specially designed architectural space that will resonate and sing with the wind.

The artwork will tour the UK travelling from one wind swept rural location to another before finding a permanent home.

With the support of the Engineering department’s at the University of Southampton and Bristol, a number of engineering options have been explored that make the movement of wind audible without any electrical power or amplification.

Mapping the shifting landscape of wind around the building, the acoustics will change as the wind alters its direction and strength.

The use of Aeolian wind harps has been selected as a suitable technology. Long tensioned strings will resonate with the wind and will be heard by visitors inside the space. See films below.

The ambition is to sonify the three dimensional landscape of wind, using a web of Aeolian harps. The public will be able to visualise this map from within the space by interpreting the sound around them.

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Documenting the Development

Many of Luke's projects are initially developed using materials found around the home. This way he gets to explore the phenomenon and technology before spending thousands of pounds on production. These films reveal his experimental process:

• aeolian experiments indoors(with handmade windtunnel)
• 3rd outdoor experiment (using a dustbin!)
• 4th outdoor experiment using a quiet MDF box.
• 5th outdoor experiment using a cardboard box and 2 string thickness' 25mph winds.
• 6th outdoor experiment using a tent, harp wire in 5mph wind.

Many of Luke's projects generate a great deal of media coverage. It is hoped a number of documentary television and radio programmes will be made about the works development.

Educational Workshops

As a part of this project a number of sound based educational projects are being delivered to secondary school children across the UK. The photo to the right shows students testing their bull-roarers made as a part of the project.

Working with a collective of teachers and scientists at the Science Learning Centre a number of inspirational demonstration films have being made for distribution to all primary schools in the Bristol area. October 2008.