As an organisation that informs and connects others with Chinese society and culture, we understand that many at the beginning of their journey are currently facing challenges and setbacks.
‘Spring Creators 创造·春’ is an annual program dedicated to supporting five young Chinese talents around the world in their personal projects across music, fashion design, art, digital animation and more. Each creator receives £500 in funding to pursue their project of choice.
TONG are thrilled to share that Spring Creator and Royal College of Art graduate, Ke Peng, has completed her experience design project: “Dissonant Bodies.” Expanding on her original piece “Evolution”, Ke’s final exhibition is an audiovisual installation that explores the complex relationship between matter and human through sound and physical material.
With a diverse artistic practice that spans abstract motion graphics, audiovisual installations, and performances, Ke’s work is driven by the philosophical concepts of new materialism, vibrant matter, and interconnectedness – a fusion of art and science exploring the complex interplay between materiality, motion, sound, vibration, and light.
Ke’s work delves deep into the invisible world of science phenomena and active matter, creating an otherworldly sensory experience that reveals the hidden patterns and movements of the world around us, and has been exhibited and performed at international events, including The Centre Pompidou IRCAM Forum, IKLECTIK Artlab, Media Art Nexus, and Strawberry Music Festival.
“Evolution” employs a digital-analog generative system that allows luminous powders and the sonic landscape to evolve together, freeing matter from its passive role. The sound is composed around the sonic textures collected from the material utilising a granulator and generative algorithm, directing the powders to move. Meanwhile, a live image recognition program employs particle behaviours to modulate the sound. Each element performs in response to the changes of the other, giving rise to a complex and dynamic system that challenges conventional notions of causality and interactivity.
“Dissonant Bodies” is an audiovisual installation that explores the complex relationship between matter and human through sound and physical material.
It draws inspiration from Cymatics, which reveals the morphogenetic tendencies of materials in a sonic environment. The installation proposes that non-living things can act as agents or forces with their own propensities, thereby expanding our understanding of their capacity.
The installation consists of a contact microphone attached to a spherical balloon that collects sound from the material. Simultaneously, a speaker located below plays back the collected sound, creating a mesmerising feedback loop when people interact with it. The vibration from the speaker influences the powder to shift into complex and unpredictable forms, which are magnified by a live camera and projection in real-time.
By immersing viewers in this unique microcosm of interfered matter, the installation prompts them to reconsider their impact on other bodies and appreciate the impersonal life that surrounds and permeates us. It aims to offer a fresh perspective on the vibrant life of non-living matter and a subtle awareness of the intricate web of dissonant connections between bodies.
It has been a pleasure to support Ke’s project and watch her practise evolve. TONG attended Ke’s end of year graduate show with the Royal College of Art London to view “Dissonant Bodies’ in person. With over 1000 students showcasing their end of year projects, it was wonderful to experience Ke’s project as a stand out experience design. It has been a pleasure working with and supporting Ke’s emerging talent, and we can’t wait to see what she does next.
