In-tensions – part of the REALTIME seminar series hosted by The Centre for Sound, Technology and Culture – took place on 7th April 2023 at Goldsmiths College. Giusy Caruso and Umut Eldem from the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp in Belgium gave a fascinating collaborative presentation of practice research into piano, interactive electronics and audiovisuals. The event was hosted by Professor Atau Tanaka, co-founded of the CSTC, and was supported by the Departments of Computing, Music, and MCCS at Goldsmiths.
Dr. Giusy Caruso’s research explores the human-machine interaction for the gestural and sound analysis and creation of multimedia performances. Umut Eldem’s musical works and research focus on the exploration of synaesthesia as an artistic medium. Caruso and Eldem’s talk, which was accompanied by performative demonstrations, explored the role of interactive technologies, such as myogram bracelets and motion tracking devices, in creating multisensory elements (including sound and visuals) and inspiring process in various art practices. As someone who was not familiar with biosensor technologies such as these, I found their practical demonstrations especially illuminating as to how different techniques and applications of interactive technologies could manipulate piano sound through intended gestures and muscular tensions.
Giusy Caruso
Royal Conservatory of Antwerp, Belgium
Dr. Giusy Caruso is an artist researcher and concert pianist. Her research explores the human-machine interaction for the gestural and sound analysis and creation of multimedia performances. Under the areas of Systematic Musicology and Embodied Music Cognition, her PhD research contributed to renovating performance analysis with a method grounded on the use of technology-enhanced mirror. Post-doc artist researcher at the Royal Conservatoire Antwerp and guest researcher at IPEM, Ghent University, and at the Laboratoire de Musicologie, Université libre de Bruxelles, Dr. Caruso is visiting professor at London Performing Academy of Music to hold a course on music performance practice and technology.
Umut Eldem
Royal Conservatory of Antwerp, Belgium
Umut Eldem is a composer, pianist, and researcher. His musical works and research focus on the exploration of synaesthesia as an artistic medium. He has given lectures on his research of synaesthesia, and had his audiovisual works and installations combining sound and colours presented in Belgium, Netherlands, Turkey, Romania, Luxembourg, and Russia. Umut Eldem is currently a PhD researcher at the Royal Conservatoire of Antwerp, his research entitled ‘The Hearing Glass: Synaesthetic Correspondences in The Musical Practice’ on an inter-sensory theory of audiovisual art.
