Multi-sensory Art Workshop

Are you interested in sound art or the use of scents as a medium of artistic expression?

 

In a two-part workshop, we will explore both sound and olfactory art. In the first part of the workshop, we will delve into the use of sound in contemporary art and art history by listening to and discussing various works of sound art. We will meet with sound artists, visit sound art exhibitions where possible, and, above all, create our own sound artworks.

 

The workshop will teach the basic skills of sound recording and editing in a way suitable for visually impaired people. The starting point for the sound artworks made in the workshop is the soundscapes of the environment. We practice the recording, editing, and composition of sounds, constructing them into works of art. However, the sounds of the environment are only a starting point, and each participant can focus on sound art works that interest them.

 

The software we use is the open source Audacity and the commercially available Adobe Audition. The workshop will have a few sound recorders at its disposal, which can be borrowed to make recordings. If you are unable to use your own computer for sound editing, three computers are available during the workshops for this purpose.

 

In addition to sound, we will explore the use of scents in contemporary art and art history. Inspired by these, we will brainstorm, experiment, and produce our own olfactory artworks. 

 

The works created during the workshop will be featured in a group art exhibition that combines sound and olfactory art, designed and produced at a later, specified exhibition space in Helsinki.

 

The workshop and materials used are free of charge. The workshop is conducted in Finnish, but interpretation and participation in English are possible. You do not need previous experience in art to take part in the workshop — just be curious and open to new approaches. You can participate in both the sound art and olfactory art parts of the workshop or limit your participation to only part of the workshop.

 

If you are interested, welcome to the first meeting of the workshop on Sunday, 7 April 2024, at 3 pm at the premises of Cultural Services for the Visually Impaired (Näkövammaisten kulttuuripalvelu ry) at Iris Centre, where we will discuss the workshop’s contents in more detail and address the wishes of the participants.

 

Workshop Host

 

The workshop will be facilitated by visual artist JP Kaljonen (MFA), who is visually impaired himself. Partly due to his visual impairment, his artistic production has focused on various community art and public space projects, where instead of focusing on visuality, the emphasis is on collaboration and promoting the goals of different communities through art. The workshop is part of Kaljonen’s Transcending Sight project, which was inspired by the challenges he faced in an art world that often operates on sighted terms. The project promotes visual arts practices from the perspective and on the terms of visually impaired people. 

 

How to Register?

 

You can register for the workshop using the “register” button on this page, emailing osallistun@kulttuuripalvelu.fi, or simply by attending the first workshop. The workshop facilitator will meet you at the front door of Iris on Sunday, April 7th at 2:50 pm.

  

Collaborators & Supporters

 

The workshop is organised in collaboration with the Cultural Services for the Visually Impaired (Näkövammaisten kulttuuripalvelu ry), and is kindly supported by the Finnish Cultural Foundation / Aino Hausmann Fund.