Archives of Sound is an interactive audio installation created by art collective, Kinokophone. It is inspired by the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts’s audio collections and features prominently unique recordings from The Rodgers and Hammerstein Archives of Recorded Sound, which is among the largest archives of its kind. The installation experiments with new ways of presenting archival audio collections, explores sound technology’s role in shaping experiences of the past and present and makes the behind-the-scenes world of the audio archives audible.

Listeners will discover the archival practices that bring the archive to life and explore aspects of the collection they may otherwise never see or hear.

Read about the installation on Hyperallergic.

Archives of Sound is made possible in part with public funds
from the Manhattan Community Arts Fund, supported by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and administered by Lower Manhattan Cultural Council.  LMCC.net

In this interactive audio installation, arts collective Kinokophone explore the idea of sounds as collectible objects- as sonic specimen to be preserved, displayed, experienced and shared. Are sounds the specimen of daily life, particular experiences, or traces of a time and place in the world? How can they live on as objects of study and what stories do they tell?

Audio: Coryn Smethurst, Jez riley French, Kinokophone Concept & Box Design: Kinokophone

Box design and carpentry: Cherie Taylor

Kinokologue is a cabinet of sonic curiosities, explored through the eyes, ears, and the imagination.  In exploration of their continuously changing and growing archive of sound spores, art collective Kinokophone created this interactive sound archive that explores ways of presenting and categorising sound collections. Two Kinokphone members, Jon and Amanda, selected a number of sounds from their audio collections to be housed inside Kinokologue.  These sounds were sent to fellow Kinokophone artists, Akiko and Takashi, who listened to the recordings without knowing the sound source.  Akiko responded to the sounds through colourful embroideries and Takashi through sculpted models, each of which were placed inside the cabinet as sonic specimen slides and sonic specimen models.  Sound playback is initiated by visitors placing a corresponding sonic specimen slide into a viewing box, opening a drawer, or by plugging headphones into a headphone jack. Visitors can view the sculptures and embroideries while composing soundscapes by listening to as many or few of the sounds at one time.  They can also contribute ideas about how to categorise our uncategorized sound spores and browse through archived suggestions left by previous visitors.  

Acknowledgements:

Kinokologue is made possible by a Micro Commission from Cornerhouse, with support from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation

Kinokophone are very happy to be collaborating with David Marsh Furniture on the build of the cabinet.

Kinokophone would like to thank physics technician, Jay Smith for his support with the custom made electronic elements.

Click here for more images of Kinokologue.

We are pleased to share with you some of the tracks sent to Kinokophone for Kinokophonography over the past few years as well as interviews of the recordists who have contributed their sounds to our world wide mycelium of sound spores.

Introducing Kinokophone Radio

The installation features five different sonic specimen boxes, each of which enables a different way of exploring the various sounds contained within them.