Sonicity: Sculpture in Sound

Being the Post in the Production world means that, at times, we are left waiting. Timeframes always shift and Production teams have to be more agile than ever, coping with the known and now, truly unknown realities of filmmaking. It’s ok though, we know being last doesn’t mean least. 

In this downtime, like weird humanoid moth-like creatures, The Post People, emerge from their dark rooms, hunchbacked and cowering in the sunlight. They pluck guitars, clean their paintbrushes and make stuff, patiently waiting for the next reel. 

Some, however, pick up a recording device and play a broken piano or casually submerge microphones in Whairepo Lagoon. Sonic Art. It’s a weird place. When it’s out there, it’s super out there. However when it’s tempered and baked just right, it can paint pictures and tell stories. 

Sonic Arts are seeping into the mainstream. Just like sunnies, we are using headphones as a filter for our lives. Radio has turned into podcast which has turned into audio series. It was only a few more weaves of a digital tapestry before terms like Sonic Architecture and Audio Augmentation started to hum.

Sonicity is a tech platform for sonic artistic expression, created in Wellington by the combined talents of mDigital, POW Studios and Pirate & Queen. It is location-aware, meaning it responds to the geolocation of the user. Using a smartphone and any old normal headphones or earbuds, users can immerse themselves in a series of real-world soundscapes situated across the city.

As it’s first offering, Sonicity has created the Sculpture in Sound App. The app allows users to explore six iconic Wellington sculptures through an atmospheric scape of sound, music and spoken word.

We deliberately chose an eclectic bunch of sculptures, from abstract from, to literary, to iconic and aesthetically stunning, to politically charged. Each now has a dynamic aura, a sonic field that cloaks the piece. Established musicians, actors, writers and even the sculptures themselves can be heard in this series of sonic works. 

The possibilities are vast. Several artists and practitioners have come forward with thrilling ideas about how this tech could expand… what would various spaces, buildings, artworks, wahitapu say if they had a voice? What sonic worlds could we walk through? What forgotten symphonies of sound wait patiently in the folds of history, to be heard and loved again? 

Featured artists and content contributors to Sculpture in Sound include Ruby Solly, Matt Lambourn, Dr. Rebecca Priestley, Peter Hambleton, Max Pattē, Virginia King and Cr. Tamantha Paul.

The Sculpture in Sound app can be downloaded for free on Android and in the App Store. 

For more information, visit www.sonicity.nz.