Origami is the ancient Japanese art of paper folding. Its goal is to represent an object using only one piece of square paper, which is then folded and creased in intricate ways. American artist Joo Youn Paek has recently combined this traditional art form with contemporary digital sound mixing processes, via an interactive installation called Fold Loud. The installation consists of three square pieces of paper with opened circuits made out of conductive fabrics, which are stitched in place. The sheets are creased according to three origami bases: the balloon, the kite and the dog. When the papers are folded along the crease lines, a circuit is closed and a sound is emitted. Each fold is assigned to a different human vocal sound so that combinations of folds create harmonies. Users have to bend multiple Fold Loud sheets together to produce a chorus of voices. But in order to generate a harmonic sound, users need to carefully fold and repeat their gestures, focusing on a slow and patient process. Adding sound to the origami practise, Joo Youn Paek explores the potential of electronic music production outside of the machine dependency paradigm, taking it back to a more organic environment. As she says, “Fold Loud invites users to slow down and reflect on different physical senses by crafting paper into both geometric origami objects and harmonic music”. There is a Taoist principle in which it is suggested that the differences among things are only apparent. Origami can be thought of in this way – the creative act both shapes the object and the idea. Similarly, both are subject to deterioration, as with everything in nature. It is thought that the act of reproducing the world through paper folding encourages comprehension and enlightenment – a notion associated with Zen illumination.

Valentina Culatti