Event 2: Sound + Science Symposium 2.0

DESMA 9  
Abi Altick 
May 14, 2019 

Event 2: Sound + Science Symposium 2.0 

On May 2, 2019, I attended the Sound + Science Symposium 2.0 here on campus at UCLA. I was particularly attracted to this event as it was located in the UCLA California NanoSystems Institute building; additionally, the event was free and open to the public. The event consisted of bringing together sound artists, scientists, and humanists, very similar to this class. When I arrived at the event, I was excited to try the DIY experimental electroacoustic instrument performance. This performance consisted of a platform to step on, and each of my movements would change the sounds and pictures up on the screen. It was a really fascinating way to combine sound and technology.

Next, I was able to listen to a talk by Carol Parkinson. She spoke about a variety of topics, but I was particularly interested in the facial hacker Arthur Elsenaar. Elsenaar is a Dutch performance artist who specializes in the relationship between electricity and the human body. His work has received high praise as he has created an algorithmic facial dance. I was fascinated by this topic because I truly did not realize that something like this existed prior to attending this event. This intriguing subject matter kept the audience extremely alert and attentive throughout the entirety of the talk by Parkinson. Although Parkinson spoke about many different subjects, Elsenaar’s face shift was definitely the most eye-opening. This is just one of the many examples of how many interesting things I am learning thus far in this class.

Lastly, as I was leaving, I was also able to walk through the noise aquarium. This was a super cool experience, and I would definitely look more into it when attending an event similar to this one next time. All in all, I would definitely recommend the Sound + Science Symposium 2.0 to anyone who has the chance to go!