Studio Arts excursion

On 2nd of May, I visited a number of the exhibitions in Melbourne City as a Studio Arts excursion.

The exhibition held at ACCA (Australian Centre for Contemporary Art)called “NEW 14” became one of my favourite exhibitions. It had the artworks (mainly installations) that are different from other exhibitions I visited. I would like to share what I thought about the artwork created by Danae Valenza.

Colour Piano for Chromatic Portraits by Danae Valenza (2014)

The artwork is formed by a small grand piano, 88 bulbs and cords that connect each bulb with each key on a piano. When the keys are pressed, the bulbs connected with those keys light up in the different colours. The cords are hung with black strings from the ceiling. The wall in room was painted in white, floor was dark grey and ceiling was black. When the white light on ceiling is turned on, shadows of cords and bulbs are projected in the room. The shadows look like innumerable notes (probably crotchets or quavers) on the sheet of music (score). The contrast between the monotone shadows (notes) and the colourful, visualised sounds expressed by light bulbs creates the different impressions and temperatures the audience feel. A grand piano does not change even the lights and shadow create the opposite moods. It could be the object that connects two antithetical moods together.

I like the combination of senses required to understand this artwork. The audience can see and hear the sound played from the piano (if you play it, the sense of touch as well). I interpret the shadows of notes as the form of sound on the sheet of music because when the shadow is seem/when the notes are on the sheet of music, the sound has not been made from the piano yet. I also interpret the colourful light bulbs as visualised sound that is alive and being played on the piano.

I would like to learn more about the relationship between the colours and each key (pitch of sound/octave/black or white key) and meaning of the white stage where a piano is set.