an interactive sound installation
close| distant is a walk-in sound installation based on the sonic instrument: ‚proximity organ‘, which combines pipe organ and Theremin. At the same time, the pipes are sound generators and sensors for proximity. The visitors may vary the amount of air with their physical approximation and explore the sound and noise possibilities of the organ pipes fed with various amounts of wind.
new tonal possibilities
A distant position sends a small amount of air which creates soft overtones, fffffrrrrs, humming and hissing. Closer contact produces a full note sound. Playing two pipes at once, opens up sound possibilities such as microtonal shifts.
composition and interaction design
The composition for ‚close| distant‘ is inspired by years of experience in therapeutic study of the human nervous system and the individual’s reactions to proximity and touch. Additionally to the full note sound elicited by closeness a steady and diligent contact is followed by different tones and timbres until a drone sound evolves.
Composing for the proximity organ, offers the possibility to choose pipes of different pitches and types and thus tonal color as well as a PD environment to define how the airflow reacts to the musicians/ visitors proximity.
exhibitions
4. 12. 2022 Westbahnstudios, Wien
9.-12. 6. 2023 errant sound, soundart gallerie, Berlin Mitte
22. – 23. 6. 2024 Sound Scene Fest at Smithonian Hirshhorn Museum, Washington DC
24. – 27. 4. 2025 Galerie MEDIO2, Kronstorf
Available for booking.
team
The project was startet in 2021 as a collaboration of Heike Waldner-Kaltenbrunner and Mathias Lenz and was furhermore realised from 2022 – 2023 in Vienna and Berlin with a wonderful team of specialists:
idea, concept | Heike Kaltenbrunner
mechanical engineering, wind-control | Mathias Lenz
arduino / C | Mathias Lenz, Frank Dietrich
sensors | Mathias Lenz, Sukandar Kartadinata, Frank Dietrich
PD-programming | Oliver Stotz, Marcus Zepp, Heike Kaltenbrunner
pipes | Walther Vonbank
electrotechnical advancements, 3D printing | Boris Shershenkov
For more information on the proximity organ click here.
 |  |  |  |  |
SKE-Fonds, Stadt Wien, BMKÖS, Otto-Mauer Fonds, Vonbank-Orgelbau.
Funded by Musikfonds e.V. by means of the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and Media (BKM)
Some picutes of the pre-presentation in Dez. 2022:
.