How can our perception of space through sound be seen as productive of the sublime?

LAYERED SPATIAL PRACTICES

Research Group

How can our perception of space through sound be seen as productive of the sublime?

Listen, stop, percieve and experience Diya Seepaul UCA Canterbury School of Architecture 2019/20

LAYERED SPATIAL PRACTICEES

Research Group

How can our perception of space through sound be seen as productive of the sublime?

Listen, stop, percieve and experience Diya Seepaul BA (Hons) Architecture (ARB/RIBA Part 1) Stage 3 Research Thesis Supervisor: Kristina Kotov

UCA Canterbury School of Architecture 2019/20

Contents

Cluster 0_a :Introduction - pg 3 Cluster 1_a : to listen - pg 4-11 Cluster 1_b : to stop - pg 12-17 Cluster 2_a: to perceive - pg 18-27 Cluster 2_b: to experience - pg 28-29 Cluster 3_a: to live - pg 30-31 List of Illustrations - pg 32-35 Bibliography - pg 36-39

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Cluster 0_a : Introduction

Through this research cluster, I aim to research and explore how we experience and perceive spaces through the lens of sound. In doing so, I also wish to demonstrate how our perception of space through acoustics can be seen as an example of the sublime.

Each “cluster/movement” originated from my initial thought process when deciding what route I wanted to pursue regarding research. Every initial cluster of information has since developed with a few instances of overlap leading to the structure which now remains.

Cluster 0 contains this introduction to the research cluster and a brief abstract which outlines the structure. Cluster 1_a: to listen looks into the lens of sound. What is the difference between sound, music, noise? Do each of these terms fall under the same category? How does sound affect our perceptions of space? Cluster 1_b : to stop explores how “silence” affects our perception of space and whether it is equally important as music, noise and sound. I hope to prove this by looking into instances where artists/ musicians have achieved this such as John Cage and Panayiotis Vassilakis (Takis).

Cluster 2_a : to perceive delves into the relevant theories and scientific applications surrounding perception. Here, I aim to find out what factors affect our perception and how this works.In this cluster, I have researched and analysised some of the works of Olafur Eliasson and Yves Klein who have exerimented a lot with this subject matter. In addition, I will research into the origins of the “sublime”. Cluster 2_b : to experience describes my own experience of entering a space and attempting to show the importance of sound in the perception of space and people.

Cluster 3_a :to live will reflect on the research holistically and form an outline for the answer to my question: how does sound and silence affect our perception of space, and why can this be seen as productive of the sublime?

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Fig.1 - Waves Crashing (2019)

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Cluster 1_a: to listen

“Now I will do nothing but listen.. I hear all sounds running together combined fused or following. Sounds of the city and sounds out of the city sounds of the day and night” - Walt Whitman “ Song of Myself” (1855) (cited in Whitechapel, 2011:110) How often do you listen? Not being plugged into your devices but to actually stop and listen. Listen to the “the infra- ordinary, the background noise and the habitual” (Perec, 2008:210) which surrounds us constantly. Sound has often been described as the “mirror of reality” and even Freud once said it was a “text to decipher” ( Whitechapel , 2011: 92). It leaves a “sensory impression” which can be very physical.

Winderen, a sound artist once stated that “you can feel it in your bones … or vibrating under your feet” ( MoMA, 2013:78).

Sound can be divided into three categories: 1. Natural sound produced by physical processes ( e.g: leaves rustling) 2. Mechanical sound typically created by cyclical patterns (a song) 3. Intentional sound- created by living beings interacting with each other -talking (Kelly, 2014) .

Sound requires two parties; the listener and the player whereas “vision” only requires the viewer. Vision offers a perception of time; light and dark indicates whether it is day or night, and colour gives the impression of warmth (Rasmussen, 1959: 225). Light is seen instantly, so it is easier to approach than sound where our ears are almost “ lazy in comparison to our eyes” (Whitechapel, 2011:54).

As humans, we are practically overruled by what our eyes see as opposed to what we hear.We are told that the “visible is extremely important” (LaBelle, 2018:12) and to a degree fixated on the concept of “appearance” so “disappearance”(the true nature of sound) is often forgotten.

Hearing plays an integral role in our day to day lives. It forms the basis of our relationships with each other and helps us to perceive space around us. Hearing is inherently “deeper” than seeing (Storr,1992:20) and it is only through listening can we identify changes in the tone of someone’s voice. What seems certain is our ability to listen.It is crucial to us functioning as humans, and the effects of this manifest themselves in a very physical way (Storr, 1992:31).

So then, can it not be argued that our ears are more in tune with ideas because they are not “ restricted to the physicality of the universe?”( Whitechapel 2011:54) and when we overcome our dependence on vision we can fully realise our true capability of hearing (Whitechapel,2011:56) and maybe beyond.

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Cluster 1_a: to listen

To listen is similar to the action: to follow. We only hear the sound after it has past us and as it dissipates. It is the reaction to the motion of sound puncturing the space surrounding us ( LaBelle, 2018:19) and could be compared to “ an intersection of hearings and over hearings” (LaBelle,2018:65). Echoes and reverberation layer on top of one another until the sound falls away, similar to the movement of a pendulum.

To an extent, the act of listening could be seen as an example of Newton’s third law of motion : “to every action there is an equal and opposite reaction” (Blackburn, 2016).

How can we differentiate between the terms “sound”, “noise” and “music” ?

Sound suggests there is more than one source and is perhaps a more general term and does not have a specific point of origin (LaBelle,2006:4) It is the result of particles vibrating in a medium (Oxford, 1990:1162). An example would be a flute: the movement caused by blowing leads to the vibration of the air particles around the direction of action. Only the waves which fit into the tube of the flute will actually resonate as opposed to the others which are lost. The vibrations in the air are called travelling longitudinal waves (Kelly,2014)

Fig 2: Sound Vibrations (2000)

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“My ears can secretly listen to something else while I look at you. This makes our hearing very intimate and private�

(Kirkegaard 2012 cited in MoMA, 2013: 43)

Fig 3: Musicals (2019)

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Cluster 1_a: to listen

How we process sound ?

How do we define music?

First, sound waves enters the ear canel leading to the eardrum. This then vibrates as a result of the sound waves. These vibrations are sent to the three small bones in the ear : the malleus, incus and stapes (National Institute on deafness and other communication disorder, 2020).

Music can be defined as a pattern of sounds made either by playing instruments, singing or musical notation which represents both (Oxford, 1990:781). It played an important role in the organization of society historically; voice and song were ways which history, culture and religion were archived by societies which were not literate (Storr, 1992:19).

The bones will amplify the sound vibration . The vibrations are now sent to the cochlea (this is a structure which resembles the shape of a snail) filled with fluid.

Vibrations will cause the cohlea to “rippl”.

The hair cells close to the wider end of the cochlea detect sounds at a higher pitc.

Those which are closer to the centre will then detect lower pitched sounds (National Institute on deafness and other communication disorder, 2020).

In the meanwhile hair cells move vertically up and down and the stereocilia sit on top of the hair cells. The stereocilia naturally bend leading to the channels opening up.

Next, chemicals rush in the cells - this creates an electrical signal. The signal is carried into the brain by the auditory nerve.

Here its is turned into recognisable sound (National Institute on deafness and other communication disorder, 2020). .

As a result, it can be assumed that music/ sound provides a way where humans can express organisation in a way that is easier to understand organised sequences than prose which is found in more developed, literate societies (Storr, 1992:16). Therefore it could be established that music/ sound could be regarded as a language symbolic of the unconscious mind - something we will probably be unable to understand, at least not for a very long time?

(Storr,1992: 16) Defining noise Noise is defined as “any unwanted or disturbing sound, or any sound without any definite frequency or pitch” (Coleman, 2015a). Noise implies we hear multiple sources at once, similar to white or pink noise ( see fig 4. and 5.).

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Fig. 6: Sept Cascades (2017)

Fig. 4 : Illustration of ear (above) (2000) Fig. 5 : Plainsong ( 2020)

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CLUSTER 1_a: to listen

Types of noise: Pink noise (see fig 8) : a sound wave of time series, similar to white noise in the sense it is essentially random. However,it has the energy equivalent to 1/f (f being frequency) so there is more energy in the bass than the treble as high frequency sound has more energy than that of low frequency sound. Examples include waterfalls,and waves which crash on a beach (Coleman, 2015b).

White noise:a sound wave which is random all frequencied within a specific range are represented with equal intensity or energy (Coleman, 2015c). An example of white noise would be a radio tuned between stations (see fig 7) (Coleman, 2015c).

The terms, sound, music and noise are relative to each other with slight differences.

Although they could be described as “active” terms”. Whereas sound is perhaps more generalised music and noise are more deliberate, but they are all equally important.

These restless terms are quite different to the term “silence” which is more still and often forgotten whilst we fixate on what is visible.

This leads to Cluster 1_b: to stop.

Fig. 7: White Noise (2014)

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“Sound is the vocabulary of nature...when we hear the wind the wind says ‘I’m blowing’.When we hear the water the water says ‘I’m running’” (Pierre Schaeffer cited in MoMA, 2013:18).

Fig. 8: Water Garden (2019)

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CLUSTER 1_b :to stop

“ An imagination or a memory. Something with its own sonic life was living inside me. As soon as I hear, I listen. Perhaps only when I am unconscious do I experience silence.” (Kirkegaard 2012 cited in MoMA, 2013: 42)

How can we define silence? Silence is said to be the absence of sound (Oxford, 1990:1130) If sound is borne from particle vibration (Oxford, 1990:1162) then can it not be said that silence is the result of no particles being present -also known as a vacuum (Oxford,1990:1355).

Fig. 09: John Cage (2003)

If silence truly does exist, this would mean that there are such spaces where all “sound” does not exist. But is silence inclusive of all sound? Do we acknowledge psychological sound/ our consciousness in this definition?

“A mind that is interested in changing...is interested precisely in the things that are extremes...unless we go to extremes we won’t get anywhere”- (John Cage cited in Kostelantez,1996:105) Silence has always been contested in the context of music and some artist/musicians tried to prove that it does not exist in the context of lived experience. A musician who was infamous for pushing the boundaries of traditional music and also art was none other than John Cage. He was a pioneer in the avant garde movement which aimed to push forward the acceptance of non pitched sounds amongst musicians ( Kostelantez,1996:3) .Cage once visited an anechoic chamber

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which had been designed to absorb ideally any and all sound waves leaving a space in which sound was “dead”. It was meant to accomplish this through diffusing any echoes or reverberation. However what Cage found was that after spending time inside said “chamber” he discovered that he could hear two distinct sound: one high pitched and one low pitched.

made music more accessible to people’s everyday experience (reference) . 4”33 is a perfect example of this: it demonstrates that “ music is around us all the time” ( Kostelantez, 1996: 11).

4”33 by Cage It was first aired in Maverick Concert Hall just south of Woodstock, New York on the 29th August 1952 with David Tudor as the pianist (Gann, 2010: 2). This brought forward mixed responses and for a while damaged his reputation as a musician.

Many people argued that there was nothing, Cage had been lazy, or he was trying to provoke the audience. (Gann, 2010:2)

When he had asked the engineer onsite at the time he was told that the low sound as caused by the circulation of his blood and the high sound was due to his nervous system. But, audio specialists believed that the high pitched sounds were caused by low level tinnitus leading to ringing in ears.

The sounds he heard in the quiet space were as a result of air molecules bumping into the ear drums.

When asked about his method in constructing 4’33” he replied it was created the same way all of his other work had been made; it was made up of built up durations separating each movement (Gann, 2010: 175).

From this John Cage realised that “there is no such thing as silence as long as you’re alive” (Kim-Cohen,2009:161) In addition, Cage introduced natural sound as an integral part of the score, having the same importance as sounds produced by instruments (Kostelantez, 1996: 3). He strongly believed in “expanding the range of acceptable and thus employable materials, beginning with nonpitched noises” (Kostelantez,1996:3). Through this principle, there is no such sound or “noise” which is not music (Kelly, 2011: 64) Cage structured his work based on four factors: sound, silence, time, and activity as he believed it was not useful to think in terms of the old setting and methods (Kostelantez, 1996: 96). He looked for ways to represent music in a more visual method which

1. 33” 2. 2”40” 3. 1”20”

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CLUSTER 1_b :Stop

Another artist who explored the medium of sound and silence was Panayiotis Vassilakis, also known as Takis. He was born in 1925 and taught himself by reading about science, philosophy,poetry, mythology and the arts (Tate, 2020). He was well known for experimentation with magnetism and metal,light and darkness, sound and silence (Takis,2019).

During the first listening, Cage commented that in fact the piece was clearly made of three movements that day comprised of accidental sounds.

1. The wind outside the theatre 2. Raindrops against the roof 3. Sounds made by members of the audience talking and those who were walking out ( Gann, 2010:4)

Takis was deeply interested in the electromagnetic “universe” and his sculptures and installations displayed in the Tate Modern explore this. He was intrigued by the potential for the almost sculptural space found within relational space/movement/ activity. Takis wanted “nature’s phenomena” to emerge forth from his work (Tate, 2020).

Cage’s 4’33” demonstrates framing environmental and unintended sounds with the intention of opening the mind to the theory; all sound is music (Gann, 2010:11).

Cage achieved this through the action of arranging the audience in the chairs which faced the pianist: he essentially framed the sounds heard by the audience. By doing so, he changed the perception of sounds which were not usually perceived (Gann, 2010: 20).

He made numerous sculptures reminiscent of antennae inspired by the artist, Giacometti’s sculptures. These were called “signals” (Takis, 2019). They use magnets and electricity to create sounds which were random (Tate,2020). Takis’ sculptures/installations ranged from creating the slightest hum (signal) to an stormlike ensemble (Music of the spheres and sound and silence.) By surrounding the participant with a myriad of sounds he isolates their sense of hearing to the point they simply listen (Takis, 2019). An example where he explores the sculptural qualities of sound is the installation Musicals .

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Fig. 12 : Takis (2020)

Fig. 10: John Cage 4’33” above (1952) Fig. 11: Takis:Music of the Spheres (2019)

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CLUSTER 1_b :Stop

Sound and Silence - Musicals (2019) By Takis The space consists of a small bench surrounded by nine panels which each have magnets to pull metal rods against strings. This produces a single note which reverberates.

These reverberations are layered one on top of each other until it fades away. The viewer is left surrounded by the waves of sound until it dissipates and left in silence. This installation is a good example of the different types of sound/ how sound, silence,activity and time can structure a piece.

To a degree, it also demonstrates the blurred lines between these terms and how interchangeable they are. Through this installation you understand the equal importance/ measure of each of these terms and how important they are in user experience. The variety and range in intensity in sounds carves an almost sculptural but also intangible at the same time.

As a result it can be concluded that sound (including non pitched sound), silence and music each have the same importance. Each factor has a part to play within the “user experience” and each of these contain sculptural but yet “formless” qualities as seen in John Cage’s 4 ‘33 and Takis’, Sound and Silence. All sound impacts our perception of surroundings and human relationships. From this cluster the point remains that silence is never absolute “as long as you’re alive” (Kim-Cohen,2009:161) concluding cluster 1.

Fig. 13: Magnetic Fields (2019)

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“I cannot think of my work as entirely my work. In a sense,I’m only a transmitter, I simply bathe in energy.”

(Takis in Tate 2019 )

Fig. 14: Musicals (2019)

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Fig. 15: Your Unlikely Shadow (2019)

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Cluster 2_a: to perceive

“I cannot say that I see the blue of the sky in the sense in which I can say that I understand a book...I can see blue because I am sensitive to colours” (Merleau-Ponty: 2002:204) Everything we perceive through our senses are called stimuli - they can provoke an action,thought or feeling. (Merleau-Ponty, 2002:84) But often, we don’t fully discern everything we see. When we stop to look at an object a few questions ought to be asked: • • • • •

What is it to perceive? Is this different from seeing and experiencing?

How do we perceive space?

What factors affect this?

How do we perceive objects and people?

Is this different to space?

-To see: to “discern by the use of the eyes” (Oxford,1990: 1093) -To perceive: to understand what an object is through sight (Oxford, 1990:883) -To experience: the manner in which something happens and how this makes you feel (Oxford, 1990: 411) Having established the difference between these key terms the question remains, how does this apply to “lived experiences” (Moran, 2000: 406) of people, objects and spaces?

When we enter a room, what do we see first? What makes a space? In An Introduction to Phenomenology, Moran states “we don’t just take up space, we inhabit it” (Morgen:2000:424). This could suggest that spaces are founded on actions which take place and centre around the people who do this. In the Phenomenology of Perception Merleau- Ponty describes our experience of a room step by step as you acknowledge what is around you and then perceive (understanding what each object is that makes up the room) followed by a grasp of the (relationships) between each object and element (Merleau-Ponty,2002:263).

Perception only truly happens when we focus on the small details, one by one, however, we are never truly aware of perceiving an object or person (Moran,2000:420) and we cannot perceive more than one thing at a time (Merleau Ponty, 2002:276).

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Cluster 2_a: to perceive

Olafur Eliasson

Room for one colour in Olafur Eliasson’s: In Real life, 2019

An artist whose artwork surrounds the theme of perception is Olafur Eliasson. He is mainly concerned about nature, beauty and perception. Eliasson’s art draws “inspiration from the idea that space is relative” (Jellis, 2014). His studio practise is centred around the viewer because the artwork enables the sensory experience, however this is only possible with the viewer (Art of Design: Season 2, episode 1, 2019).

In the Tate Modern as you enter, before you reach Eliasson’s main exhibition (Eliasson in Real Life 2019) you would have to enter a hallway which at the time was completely yellow apart from people passing by who are devoid of colour. Completely grey scale. This is a type of lamp he used in his room for one colour. This is called monochromatic light (Art of design, 2019).

In Putting the viewer first, Eliasson states that his work is “really nothing, it is only interesting at a specific time, specific place, specific spectator.” (Ingram-Allen, 2001) Eliasson’s work is almost entirely dependant on the “physical, mental, and emotional contribution the viewer is willing to make. Above all, his work focuses on the perception of now.

What can be noted is that the lack of colour made me more attentive to my surroundings- this made us interact more with the people around us and we all perceive each other as equal. Once leaving the yellow space you experience a somewhat blueish after image (Eliasson in Real Life 2019).

The effects of monochromatic light have either left viewers with a sense of “hyper vision” and an increased dimensionality.

Others felt as if their vision was impaired: objects and people started to seem flat, two dimensional (Art of Design, 2019). This particular experience of colour makes you realise how much we rely on colour, the visible and often forget the invisible.

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Fig. 18: Olafur Eliasson- Monofrequency lamps in A Room for One Colour (2009)

Fig. 16: A Room for One colour -top image (2003) Fig. 17: Olafur Eliasson: Your Double Lighthouse Projection (2019)

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Cluster 2_a: to perceive

Fig. 19: Olafur Eliasson: Your Double Lighthouse Projection (2019)

During our early years, we are taught how to distinguish certain objects: we learn the name given to them .We learn by grouping objects based on their outward appearances: size, colour, materiality (Merleau-Ponty,2002: 206) But can a name really be representative of a “thing” and in what way does a name capture the core essence of an object? Surely by naming something we limit the true uniqueness of it (Merleau-Ponty, 2002:204) . When looking at an object the “name” is not what comes to mind. It is the appearance we see initially: whether it is small or big, round or square. So, it is not the name but the concept which defines it.

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Fig. 20: Olafur Eliasson: Der Blinde Passenger (2019)

Fig. 21: Olafur Eliasson: Cold Wind Sphere (2019)

If anything, a name simply limits the true potential of the object. It could be said that to name an object is essentially to cause it to exist (Merleau-Ponty, 2002:206) similar to the act of remembering (Perec, 1997: 127)

When we recall memories we remember them in colour and images. They are integral to our visual systems and the perception of this connects to our “LIVED PERSPECTIVE� (Merleau-Ponty on Cezanne 405) of the world having depth. Colour and images are a pivotal part of our world, it can help us to differentiate information about the space around us.

To remember: recall information (Oxford, 1990:1016)

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Cluster 2_a: to perceive

“Colour is the place where our brain and the universe meet” (Moran,2000:405) However “images are everything except a direct product of imagination” (Bachelard,1958: 18). Everything surrounds and depends on our memories which is something intangible and immaterial, similar to light, colour and sound.

Intangible: something which is impossible to touch, to describe exactly,or to give an exact value (oxford, 1990:615)

Fig. 22: Blue Monochrome (1960)

The intangible was also known as the formless by the post structuralists, negative capability by Keats and the “sublime”

by Kant (Ottman, 2010:147) The sublime is typically defined as something which inspires a sense of awe or that which “points to something truly extraordinary” (tate,2020b) The term “sublime” should not be confused with “beauty” (Burke, 1990: 1).

Beauty is commonly mistaken with the “sublime” when in fact they apply to completely different subjects and the nature of these are quite opposite. Perhaps there are misconceptions surrounding the causes of the sublime and beauty and what the differences are? (Burke,1990:5)

Fig. 23: Pink Monochrome (1960)

Do we make the assumption that only beautiful things inspire awe ?

Beauty: “ A combination of qualities such as shape, colour etc that pleases the aesthetic senses” (Oxford, 1990: 96) In A Philosophical Enquiry, Burke explores

Fig. 24: Yellow and Pink Monochrome (1955)

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el,2010:12). Burke states that the sublime is about the intense feeling very different from the sensation/feeling of pleasure.

But is is a far cry from emotion in the “banal sense” : it is emotion at the brink of its limits (Whitechapel,2010:47)

the differences between what is considered “beautiful” and what is the “sublime”.

He set out to investigate the consistencies within the theories of beauty and the sublime in addition to the origins of these which are characteristically humane (Burke, 1990:83). The causes of beauty include fragility, colour, size whereas the causes of the sublime originated from human emotions.

In A Philosophical Enquiry , Burke looks into the causes of the sublime (separate from beauty) it includes: dimension, the magnitude in building greatnes, colour, sound and loudness, abruptness , feeling, pain (Burke, 1990: 29).

Burke states in A Philosophical Enquiry that small objects would be considered as ‘beautiful’ (Burke,1990:102) and big things are often considered as ugly and perhaps to an extent, overwhelming?

Now, the sublime is more commonly applied to aspects of modern life such as technology and pivotal figures such as Jean François Lyotard who focussed on the subliminal quality of the experience of life (Whitechapel, 2010:12). More often now,there is a focus on the “immersive” experience, seen in the work of Yves Klein, and Olafur Eliasson (Art of Design, 2019).

Historically, we use ‘little’ as a form of endearment. For example, Burke said “ A great ugly thing” would be a common phrase but you would rarely hear one describe “a great beautiful” thing (Burke, 1990: 103). The sublime however, would characteristically be large, big huge overwhelming (Burke, 1990:53) The other origins of beauty included, smoothness, gradual variation, pure colour, and delicacy (Burke, 1990: 106). What could be gathered from this : the effects caused by beauty are positive - they invoke pleasure (Burke, 1990: 113). It also shows that we actively seek out desirable things.

To a degree, we are able to control these factors unlike the sublime (Whitechapel, 2010: 42) The term, “Sublime” first became important during the 18th century. It applied to aspects of nature which inspired awe and wonder. An example of this would be an avalanche or waterfalls (Whitechap-

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Cluster 2_a: to perceive

Yves Klein: Monotone Symphony

Anthropometry

Born in Nice, Klein only began to paint during the late 1940s- this was the period he began to develop some of his initial monochrome theories (Tate, 2019b). At first his monochrome pictures began with the colours: orange, pink green and yellow but then worked mainly with blue (although he did a few gold leaf monogolds in 1960) (Tate, 2019b).

Klein had women cover themselves in blue paint and they would become “living paint brushes” to create art which interrogates the study of the human body. This would become a series of performances to accompany the Monotone Symphony (MoMA, 2020).

Yves Klein was known as an artist for his extensive exploration of the sublime. He sought out dematerialization and the manifestation of “formlessness” and whether this was limited to one field of study (Solnit, 2006: 157). An example of this would be his Monotone Symphony (1960).

Klein’s Monotone Symphony is a good example of a piece of art/music which demonstrates the importance of sound in the perception of space. The original performance (Mondo Cane, 1962) was made of two elements: the “live painting” with the anthropometric models and the Monotone Symphony (Mondo Cane, 1962).

The monotone symphony was divided in two movements: 1. A note played for the exact duration of twenty minutes.

2. An abrupt silence for exactly twenty minutes after.

By preparing the audience with the visible, the collective experience of the invisible is transformed. The second half of the movement borders between the seen and unseen due to the manifestation of the consciousness /psychological noise created.

Klein employs this method, similar to Cage’s 4’33” in using silence to make the listener/viewer more aware of the space surrounding them.

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Fig. 27: Monotone symphony performance (1961)

Fig. 25: Anthropométrie de l’Époque Bleue-top image (1960) Fig. 26: Monotone Symphony Score (1961)

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Cluster 2_b: to experience

Wotruba Church, Vienna, Austria The Wotruba church was designed by the famous sculptor, Fritz Wotruba. It is situated on the outskirts of Vienna on the Georganberg in Vienna Wall part of the 23rd district (see fig. 28) .Previously, a war barracks used to be situated there during the war years - this was demolished in 1949. However, Wotruba’s idea was not to bear fruition until twelve years later due to the unconventional nature of his plans (Atlasobscura, 2020) Fig. 28: Plan view (2004)

“poverty does not have to be ugly, that renunciation can be in an environment that, despite the greatest simplicity, is beautiful and also makes you happy”. Fritz Wotruba (Georgenberg, 2020) Personal Account of visit to Wotruba Church, Vienna, Austria When I visited Vienna around 6/02/19 we visited Wotruba Church in Vienna, Austria. After a particularly long walk that day I distinctly remember jumping onto one of the trains as we travelled far out of central Vienna to see this church. I have to admit, I was initially hesitant, well perhaps the phrase skeptical is more appropriate.

Fig. 29: Wotruba Church (2019)

We travelled quite far out and if I recall we had to take one more bus to reach near the destination in question. Once getting off the bus we walked (for what seemed like forever at the time) sluggishly up the hill, mind you it wasn’t exactly warm either.

In hindsight, I suppose the distance was not that far all things considered but I guess there were other things to factor

Fig. 30 : Sketch of Wotruba Church (2019)

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in. So, by the time we reached the top of the hill, the sun had set as the sky was the darkest shade of blue - almost inky.

When we did reach our destination I distinctly remember many of us (myself included) complaining about the distance travelled. However almost all of us without exception fell silent once we saw the striking view of light and shadow cast from the church.

All around there were pockets of space where you could see the night time landscape from the inside, framed by slabs of concrete. The light cast shadows on those outside wandering round so you could see elongated silhouettes moving across the surface of the building. Funnily enough, I don’t actually remember about the colour I could see there, except it was dark and the light from inside spilling outwards.

The feeling was profound.

I just remember the sounds.

There is no way really to describe the feeling felt. Personally, I found it slightly overwhelming. From the outside it was as if I was on the edge peering into the darkness. Was it the sheer proportion of the church? Or maybe it was the culmination of cold, dark and being slightly tired from the day of walking.

In a way, this experience was similar to Eliasson’s Room for One Colour and Cage’s 4’33”.

I would describe this experience as sublime. Maybe it was the cold and the dark or even the austere concrete blocks. It was overwhelming and vast. The collective silence between us all made us more perceptive of the “background noise” surrounding us. Yes, these were things that factored into this different experience: like someone on the edge peering in.

If I were to describe a moment where I felt anything close to sublime- this would be it. If anything this is proof that silence is never absolute and (music) is all around us. This concludes Cluster2_b.

Anyway we entered the church and what was inside was equally as astounding. The silence hadn’t fallen, although I suppose strictly speaking this was not true. You could hear the sounds you wouldn’t usually perceive: our footsteps as we tried to tread quietly, the giant door closing and opening. I’m certain if I listened close enough I would be able to hear breathing and a few whispers.

I think it was so quiet I could’ve sworn I could hear my own heart pounding - you know when you’re so excited or maybe on edge. It was the “unconventional/banal” sound which had an almost sculptural quality to the atmosphere. Just by walking around I found voids where the “building blocks” had been “shifted”.

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Fig. 31: Musicals (2019)

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Cluster 3_a : to live

“Our togetherness, our intertwinement with people and things and places is never seamless or whole, never complete” (Phaidon,2018:7) In response to Cluster 1_a and Cluster 1_b The research for this section was broad and it helped in giving a wider context to the subject. I think by keeping the initial exploration/development open I gained a better grasp of precisely what it was to hear and this impacted our perception of spaces, objects and people. For future reference, maybe researching further into the science behind “silence” could have shown the consequences of “silence” in the context of space, objects and people. Having examined the philosophies and methodologies of case studies such as John Cage I understood the perception of space through sound. In doing so, I realised the importance of “sound” in human relationships as well as spatial ones.

In response to Cluster 2_a and Cluster 2_b I initially found the overall theory of perception challenging to understand. Maybe this was a result of the “abstract/non-figurative” nature of this topic. Researching the works of Olafur Eliasson and Yves Klein gave the subject matter context. Personally, I think it helped to apply the theory to a “three dimensional” situation. Cluster 2_b was interesting to piece together. It was something different: having to re-evaluate an experience through sound was both challenging but enjoyable at the same time. Rethinking a memory through a specific lens was not something I had done before. Doing so gave a slightly different perspective and helped to remember the “unconventional” sound which adds a new layer to this experience. It also showed the impact sound has on our memories.

Reviewing this thesis as a whole, I can come to one overarching conclusion. Silence is not and will never be absolute. After all, as long as we’re alive nothing will ever truly be silent (Kim-Cohen,2009:161). Sound surrounds us constantly. Perhaps you could go as far to say that we are immersed in sounds. It’s constantly changing, twisting and moving- sound is restless ( LaBelle, 2018: 19) . You can hear it in the wind or footsteps down the hall. Given the right situation, you could even hear your heartbeat.Sound is so unique: it can form the foundations of relationships (Storr,1992:20) with one another but also have very sculptural properties unlike anything else. Our perceptions of sound are linked in this semi-permeable space and I believe the intangible quality of this is what makes sound so sublime.

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List of Ilustrations

Fig.1 Seepaul, D. (2019) Waves Crashing. [Photograph, landscape] In possession of : the author: Broadstairs.

Fig. 2 SCI Centre. (2000) Sound Vibrations. [Illustration] At:https://www.le.ac.uk/se/ centres/sci/selfstudy/snd2.htm (Accessed: 03/01/2020).

Fig. 3 Seepaul,D. (2019) Takis: Magnetic Fields. [ Cork, cloth, magnets, metal, metal wire, polyvinyl acetate paint on canvas and wood] In possession of: the author: Tate Modern.

Fig. 4 Lake Ent. (2020) Diagram of Ear. [Illustration] At: http://www.lakeenthearing. com/conditions/ear-anatomy/ (Accessed: 03/01/2020).

Fig. 5 Angelican Pastor. (2019) Plainsong. [Photograph] At: https://anglicanpastor. com/chanting-the-psalter-in-plainsong-part-2-practice-makes-perfect/ (Accessed: 03/01/2020).

Fig. 6 Seepaul, D. (2017) Sept Cascade. (Seven Waterfalls). [Photograph] In possession of: the author: Mauritius.

Fig. 7 Rusolut. (2014) White Noise. [photograph] At: https://rusolut.com/binary-patterns-in-nand-flash-memory/ (Accessed: 03/01/2020).

Fig. 8 Seepaul, D. (2019) Water Garden. [photograph] In possession of: the author : London.

Fig. 9 Sayers, P. (2003) John Cage. [photograph, portrait] At: https://study.com/academy/lesson/composer-john-cage-bio-music-facts.html (Accessed: 03/01/2020).

Fig. 10 Peter, C. (1952) 4’33� Score. [photograph] At: http://exhibitions.nypl.org/johncage/taxonomy/term/41 (Accessed:03/01/2020).

Fig. 11 Seepaul, D. (2019) Takis:Music of the Spheres. [Sound Installation] In possession of: the author: Tate Modern.

Fig.12 FT. (2020) Takis:Portrait. [Photograph] At:https://www.ft.com/content/d8a814fc968c-11e9-98b9-e38c177b152f (Accessed:03/01/2020).

Fig. 13 Seepaul, D. (2019) Takis: Magnetic Fields. [Sound installation] In possession of: the author: Tate Modern.

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Fig. 14. Seepaul, D. (2019) Takis:Sound and silence, Musicals. [ Sound Installation] In possession of: the author: Tate Modern.

Fig.15 Seepaul, D. (2019) Olafur Eliasson: Your unlikely shadow. [ Light installation] In possession of :the author :Tate Modern.

Fig.16 Boato, G. (2003) Olafur Eliasson: Room for one colour,Venice. [Installation ]At: https://olafureliasson.net/archive/artwork/WEK101676/room-for-one-colour (Accessed: 03/01/2020).

Fig.17 Seepaul,D .(2019) Olafur Eliasson :Your Double Lighthouse Projection. [Installation] In possession of : the author: Tate Modern.

Fig.18 Eliasson,O. (2009) Room for one colour, Japan. [Monofrequency Lamps] At:https://olafureliasson.net/archive/artwork/WEK101676/room-for-one-colour (Accessed:03/01/2020) .

Fig.19 Seepaul,D .(2019) Olafur Eliasson :Your Double Lighthouse Projection. [Installation] In possession of : the author: Tate Modern.

Fig.20 Seepaul,D.(2019) Olafur Eliasson: Der blinde passenger. [Installation] In possession of :the author:Tate Modern.

Fig.21 Seepaul, D .(2019) Olafur Eliasson: Cold Wind Sphere. [Installation] In possession of: the author: Tate Modern.

Fig.22 Janis,H. (2019) Yves Klein:Blue Monochrome. [Dry pigment in polyvinyl acetate on cotton over plywood] At: https://www.moma.org/collection/works/80103 (Accessed:04/01/2020).

Fig.23 Phillips. (1960) Yves Klein: Monochrome Rose sans titre. [ dry pigment and synthetic resin on canvas] At: http://www.alaintruong.com/archives/2018/02/24/36170864.html (Accessed: 04/01/2020)

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List of Illustrations

Fig. 24 Klein, Y. (1955) Untitled Yellow and Pink Monochrome. [ Dry pigment and binder on canvas] At: https://artblart.com/2010/09/06/exhibition-yves-klein-with-the-voidfull-powers-at-hirshhorn-museum-and-sculpture-garden-washington-d-c/ (Accessed: 04/01/2020) Fig.25 Klein, Y. ( 1960) Anthropométrie de l’Époque Bleue. [ Dry pigment and synthetic resin on paper mounted on canvas] At: http://www.yvesklein.com/en/oeuvres/ view/1/anthropometries/595/anthropometrie-de-l-epoque-bleue-anthropometry-of-the-blue-period/?of=10 (Accessed:04/01/2020) Fig.26 Klein, Y. (1961) Monotone Symphony Score. [Print and pen on paper] At:http:// www.yvesklein.com/en/oeuvres/view/650/score-for-symphonie-monoton-silence-monotone-silence-symphony/ (Accessed:04/01/2020) Fig.27 Shunk-kender. (1961) Monotone symphony performance.[ photograph] At:http://www.yvesklein.com/en/articles/view/3/monotone-silence-symphony/ (Accessed:04/01/2020).

Fig.28 Mayr, G,F.( 2004) Plan view. [ pen on paper] At : https://www.db-bauzeitung.de/db-themen/schwerpunkt/wotruba-kirche-wien/#slider-intro-10 (Accessed: 04/01/2020).

Fig.29 Seepaul,D. (2019) Wotruba Church. [photograph] In possession of: the author: Vienna.

Fig.30 Seepaul, D.(2019) Sketch of Wotruba Church. [pen on paper] In possession of :the author:Vienna.

Fig. 31 Seepaul,D. (2019) Takis: Magnetic Fields. [ Cork, cloth, magnets, metal, metal wire, polyvinyl acetate paint on canvas and wood] In possession of: the author: Tate Modern.

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At: (http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ucreative.idm.oclc.org/ehost/detail/ detail?vid=0&sid=ee0da248-3029-4698-8754-155793cf842e%40pdc-v-sessmgr01& bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#AN=504972302&db=aft) (Accessed 02/01/2020).

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Jellis.(2014) “Spatial experiments: art, geography, pedagogy” In: Sage Journals 22(2) pp.369- 374. At https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/epub/10.1177/1474474014522931 (Accessed 01/01/2020) Kelly, M. (2014). Encyclopedia of Aesthetics. (2nd ed.) Oxford: Oxford University Press.

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LAYERED SPATIAL PRACTICES

Research Group

BA (Hons) Architecture (ARB/RIBA Part 1) Stage 3 Research Thesis Author: Diya Seepaul Supervisor: Kristina Kotov UCA Canterbury, 2019/20 University for the Creative Arts Canterbury School of Architecture New Dover Road Canterbury Kent CT1 3AN United Kingdom uca.ac.uk cantarch.org

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