Experience two interactive works of art inspired by Sibelius

Explore the sounds of the invisible Sibelius monument

Inspired by the famous Sibelius Monument created by sculptor Eila Hiltunen in 1967 Passio Musicae Open Source is an interactive audio installation that is a sonified reinterpretation of this famous monument. Visitors are invited to explore the sounds by moving around in the space. The sounds are based on the 569 steel tubes of the original monument. By moving around inside the virtual version of the monument, the visitors will trigger the sounds, tube by tube, thus creating a unique interactive soundscape. The sounds and movement created throughout the duration of the exhibition will be archived and made publicly available online. The project has culminated in a unique collaboration between the top Finnish art universities and German sculptor Lukas Kühne.

The accompanying video installation Tracing a Monument depicts the case of the lost Hommage à Sibelius, a version of the monument that was on display at Expo 67 in Montréal and later disappeared.

Synaesthesia invites you to use your movements to play with light and sounds

The second addition to the Sibelius and the World of Art exhibition can be found on the walls and contours of the Ateneum Art Museum third floor foyer. Synaesthesia is an interactive sound and light installation that describes the creative process. It invites you to move in front of the light and pictures projected with intricate detail on the walls of the 3^rd floor foyer at Ateneum. As you move, the different parts of the installation create music, combining colour, light and sound in the spirit of the synesthetic abilities of Sibelius, who experienced colours as sounds. The idea to Synaesthesia was born during the SibHack weekend of art and coding hosted by Ateneum Art Museum, The Sibelius Birthtown Foundation and Eficode in October 2014.

Both new installations will be open to the public at Ateneum Art Museum until the end of the Sibelius and the World of Art exhibition on 22 March 2015.

About the artists

The originator of the Passio Musicae Open Source concept, Lukas Kühne, is an audio sculptor whose works are often highly interactive. He has been exhibited and has permanent works in Europe (incl. Iceland), Japan, North America, and South America. He is also in charge of the interdisciplinary and experimental program ‘Form and Sound’ in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Montevideo in Uruguay.

Holding workshops with students from the University of the Arts’ Academy of Fine Arts and Sibelius Academy and Aalto University’s Media Lab Helsinki, Mr. Kühne and the group created the final work that is now exhibited in Ateneum. Additionally, the code that makes for the building blocks of the installation, is available online (www.pmos.fi), embracing the open source spirit throughout the creation of the installation.

Passio Musicae Open Source was realized by art and design students Jairo Acosta Lara, Ava Grayson, Karina Jensen, Narim Lee, Sébastien Piquemal, Taavi Varm and Pirkka Åman from Aalto University (Media Lab Helsinki) under the supervision of media artist Matti Niinimäki. The video installation was created by art students Emma Jääskeläinen, Akuliina Niemi and Jani Purhonen from the University of the Arts.

Passio Musicae Open Source has been made possible with the financial support from the Arts Promotion Centre Finland, the German Federal Foreign Ministry, and is co-initiated and produced with Goethe-Institut Finnland.

Synaesthesia has been created by artist and musician Hanna Toivonen; media artist Tommi Koskinen; VJ Julius Tuomisto and software designer Kosti Rytkönen.

Sibelius and the World of Art
17.10.2014 - 22.03.2015

Ateneum Art Museum, Kaivokatu 2, 00100 Helsinki, www.ateneum.fi

Hours: Tue, Fri 10-18 | Wed, Thu 10-20 | Sat, Sun 10-17 | Closed on Mondays

Tickets: €13/11, free admission for visitors under the age of 18

Media enquiries:

Johanna Eiramo, Communications Manager, t. +358 (0)400 995699, johanna.eiramo@ateneum.fi

 

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Ateneum’s main partners are Helsingin Sanomat, HOK-Elanto and KPMG.

 

Ateneum is part of the Finnish National Gallery, www.kansallisgalleria.fi