Case Study:

3D Audio Sculpture Represents Nixon’s White Noise

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In an exploration of the concept of memory and ‘social amnesia’, artist Raul Ortega Ayala approached INITION with the intent of finding a new way to represent a historic moment in American politics.

Quick Facts

  • Who: Artist, Raul Ortega Ayala
  • What: ’18 and a half minutes’ – 3D Audio Sculpture
  • Where: Part of the Ethnographic Terminalia: The Bureau of Memories in Washington, D.C.
  • When: 3-7 December 2014.

BRIEF

Artist, Raul Ortega Ayala, commissioned INITION to produce a 3D print of multiple sound forms as part of his ‘18 and a half minutes’ group of works for the ‘Bureau of Memories: Archives and Ephemera’ exhibit in Washington.

SOLUTION

The project, based on the 18 and a half minutes’ worth of white noise contained within a recording taken during a conversation between Richard Nixon and his chief-of-staff, Bob Haldeman, required INITION to interpolate sound data provided by Ayala.

Using the sound data – from the 18 and a half minutes of white noise –  we created an audio spectrum followed by a displacement map which was used to represent depth. From this, we extracted a 3D representation of the noise which was then 3D printed as a physical form.

RESULTS

The resulting sculpture was exhibited at Ethnographic Terminalia 2014 in Washington, D.C. – The Bureau of Memories from 3-7 December 2014.

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