12″ – raster

The Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, located in Frankfurt, is a leading scientific research center dedicated to the systematic study of aesthetic experience and the way in which people perceive, process and evaluate art and other aesthetic stimuli. The methodologies used by this center are both rigorously scientific and interdisciplinary, in order to fully understand the cognitive, emotional and neurobiological mechanisms underlying aesthetic experiences. It is from the collaboration between Raster Media and the institute that White Noise was born, a project that in its second implementation sees Victoria Keddie explore the sonic and cadenced dimensions of phonetic language, intertwining and fusing multiple modalities – from the written word to sound compositions, from video sequences to data processing – supported by learning algorithms created specifically for this purpose. Through this stratification of expressive means, the artist invites us to perceive the subtle vibrations and hidden rhythms that inhabit our verbal communication. The project studies the sound of the eight diphthongs of American English through recordings made with participants of different nationalities. During the recording sessions it was essential to consider how the fundamental sounds of language take shape in the mouth, throat and tongue of the speaker, thus revealing the physical and primordial dimension characteristic of phonetic expression. In line with this approach, one of the greatest merits of Victoria Keddie, previously co-director of E.S.P. TV was to focus on the spoken aspect of language and in particular on its oratorical intonations, on conversation and on the imitation of specific inflections, which change depending on the context and the emotions experienced. Keddie’s work stands out for its ability to transform apparently banal phonetic elements into an immersive and revelatory artistic experience. Inspired by the visionary architect Hermann Finsterlin, known for his speculative architectural renderings, Pshal P’shaw builds a bridge between the materiality of sound and the architecture of phonetic spaces. This release is therefore not only a sound document of artistic value, but also an important contribution to the understanding of the intertwining of sensory perception, linguistic expression and cultural identity – central themes of our hypertrophic contemporaneity.

 

Victoria Keddie – Pshal, P’shaw