The Sound Of Mathematics and more...
I gave a talk on Friday at Information Design Conference and it was one of the hardest to give. Not my first rodeo: I’ve spoken in front of people before, but this last one was also the most fun to put together. Read more, I’ll explain.
First, here's what I'm cooking up at the moment:
Emotional Geography is out now exclusively on Unit London Editions (it’s almost sold out… thank you!)
Tokyo Love Story is my solo show on view from October to January, in London (by appointment only)
How do you capture a feeling? For me, it starts with sound.
It could be the bark of your dog or your favourite song. For me, it was small, often ordinary moments. Imagine standing in a coffee shop to hear the clicking sound of the cups or seeing a bee gently approaching a flower. I bet you can remember at least one of those special moments, maybe even now. Well, these were the kinds of moments I've captured in Emotional Geography.
Each of these nine artworks began as a simple sound recording – a street musician's melody in Budapest, the water of a cenote in Mexico, or a ride on a train in Berlin.
But something was still missing – my own emotional connection to these moments.
So, I did something a bit unconventional. I listened to each sound again, allowing myself to be transported back to that moment of happiness. And as I listened, I recorded my heartbeat. This heartbeat data became the final layer of each artwork, a physical manifestation of my emotional response to these intimate memories.
Releasing exclusively via Unit London Editions, the print series is the result of my travels over the past years, as I record the world around me.
The nine cities I transformed from sonic data into fine art prints include Berlin, Budapest, Copenhagen, Genoa, Holbox, London, Mexico City, New York City, and Venice.
Is it true that inanimate objects become alive when you're not looking?
One evening, I was in Omotesando, a neighbourhood near Shibuya City, Tokyo. I was setting up the audio recorder to start a field recording session but I was incredibly thirsty. Luckily, I found a vending machine in front of me. Tokyo is full of these vending machines that sell drinks like water, coffee, and green tea. This particular one was emitting an incredible glow. It was talking to me. So I decided to give this object a voice.
“Tokyo Love Story: A Sensory Journey Through The Acoustic Vibration of the Lights of Tokyo”, is my first solo exhibition where every image originates from a melody. But not any melody, specifically the one of the electromagnetic waves emitted by light sources of Tokyo's urban landscape. Curious to know what the sound of a crossing light in Ueno or a neon karaoke sign in Shinjuku looks like? Well, wait no more…
The exhibition is open by appointment only, just send me an email (tiziana@tizianaalocci.com) if you’re in London and you’d like to stop by.
OK, now let me explain about the last talk.
It was challenging because of an unusual reason: I wanted to talk about my work without talking about my work. Easy, right? I didn't know what to say, but I was sure about what I didn't want to say. No portfolio showcase, no big intro about me, who I am, or who my clients are—you know the drill.
One day, I was with my friend Giulia at a bar, sipping natural wine and chatting about life. "Have you looked at the sky today?" I asked. "Yes, so blue" she replied. That got me thinking about the sky and inevitably, work crept into our conversation. “Recently, while walking through my old neighbourhood, I noticed you could barely see any sky” I said. Tall buildings were everywhere... By the time we had a drink or two, I realised I had material for two talks. And guess what is going to be the topic of my next talk.
My presentation at the Information Design Conference took the audience back with me on my recent travels to explore... the sound of mathematics. Luckily it resonated a lot with the mathematicians in the room – if you’re one of them, let’s chat!
The sky is going to be the topic of my next talk. Where? Don't know yet, but if you're planning an event, hit reply and let's chat. I absolutely love it when this newsletter sparks spontaneous conversations.
Thank you for making it this far! :)
Till next time,
Tiziana