People Are Talking: UMS presents Ryoji Ikeda’s...
Posted: 10/31/14
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PERFORMANCES & EVENTS
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People Are Talking: UMS presents Ryoji Ikeda’s superposition at Power Center:
Perhaps you’re right; maybe it would be too difficult for the members of the audience to see the vibrations of the fork. However, as I stated earlier I thought it would be interesting to see the vibrations of the tuning fork in addition to the sound waves being projected up on the screen. Through showing the tuning forks, I thought the idea of superposition could have been underscored further. While the tuning forks cannot be superposed the sound waves that they produce can be.
I really enjoyed the tuning fork demonstration as well. It transported me to a new kind of consciousness, because I usually don’t think about the fact that what I hear is fluctuating waves–I just call it sound. It’s interesting that you want to see even closer images of the forks vibrating–why is that? I can tell you from experience that there not much to see, unless you put the vibrating fork into a bowl of water. Then the vibrations cause the water to splash out of the bowl with the range corresponding to the pitch and size of the fork.
"by ASL
People Are Talking: UMS presents Ryoji Ikeda’s superposition at Power Center:
I definitely agree that it was frustrating not being able to read what the performers were typing out. In addition to not being able to keep up with the two different messages being typed out, I had a speaker blocking the left side of the screen. Nevertheless, your conclusion really intrigued me. I agree that if one were to go see the performance a second time, he would be more prepared for the show. However, I don’t think a second viewing would be beneficial. I think Ikeda deliberately chose to use a fast pace along with no spaces in order to make it nearly impossible to read the exact messages. Thus, he was able to convey a completely different message without using words but instead by playing on people’s emotions.
As I was directed to my seat and handed earplugs, my heart began racing; I did not know why earplugs were a necessity for the viewing of “Superposition.” In reaction to this gift of earplugs, I found myself perching on the edge of the seat and constantly looking at the other spectators seated in the vicinity, all of us just waiting for some catastrophic noise or loud explosion. I believe that this feeling of terror held me back from enjoying and analyzing the production to help discover the message that Ryoji Ikeda tried to communicate.
"I struggled with accurate reading of the various messages the two performers communicated through Morse code, since they were sometimes typing the same message and other times typing different messages or one with minimal variation, so I did not know whether I needed to be switching between the two screens or if I could focus on one screen. I definitely missed some of the important points due to my inability to efficiently read the screens simultaneously. The lack of spaces and rapid pace of the sentences added to the battle with reading and comprehending each message. I wish that I could have been able to see the sentences the performers presented on the screens for a longer period of time, but I can see how that would take away from the fast-moving, intense performance because some of the viewers may lose interest if the sentences lingered too long. It is a difficult balance to find the exact right time to allow the viewers to read.
Overall, I think I would have benefitted from a second viewing of “Superposition.” I was overwhelmed with the experience as a whole and knowing what to expect would have helped me to understand the performance better.
by TV
People Are Talking: UMS presents Ryoji Ikeda’s superposition at Power Center:
This performance was very different than anything else I have ever experienced. While I really enjoyed some parts of the show, I found others slightly confusing and frustrating.
Personally, my favorite part was with the tuning forks. I found it remarkable to watch the sound waves being altered. I could see and hear the frequency and amplitude change as time passed and as different tuning forks were used. Thus, I appreciated being exposed to these basic sounds in a new, abstract way. Moreover, this part really pointed out the natural beauty of science, and the soothing sounds contrasted with the other ear throbbing noises present in the rest of the performance. However, I wish the members of the audience were able to see the performers’ actions more closely during this part of the show. I would have really liked to observe the vibration of the tuning forks in addition to the projection of the sound waves.
On the other hand, I also found certain parts of the show slightly frustrating. For example, I did not know what all the random numbers in the beginning of the performance represented. As a result, I found it difficult to connect with this part. I wish there was an explanation in the program regarding why these numbers had been chosen. Do they represent numbers that reoccur in nature? In addition, I also found it slightly frustrating when the audience never found out the exact meaning of the sentences being typed out. All of the blanks were filled with random letters and numbers instead of words. In other words, the ambiguity of the meaning of this performance caused the confusion and frustration I was feeling. Nevertheless, this was definitely a unique performance that I am happy I had the opportunity to attend.