Tocsin
Genre:sound sculpture |
Exhibiting institution:Trinity Church |
Year of creation:2009 |
City/Country:Cologne / Germany |
Material:aluminum frame |
Equipment:40 megaphones, microphone, audio amplifier, sound mixer |
Dimension:120 x 120 x 120 cm |
Weight:80 kg |
tocsin
toc“sin (?), n. [f., fr. of. toquier to touch,f. toquer (originally, a dialectic form of f. toucher) + seint (for sein)
a bell, ll. signum, fr. l. signum a sign, signal. see touch, and sign.]
an alarm bell, or the ringing of a bell for the purpose of alarm.
the loud tocsin tolled their last alarm. Amplified bell
40 megaphones of different sizes and capacities are fixed to an aluminum frame made in the shape of a bell. All audio inputs are grouped together and connected to one single microphone. The microphone is hanging in the center of the bell just below the megaphones. Only a temporary de-energized system prevents the inevitable audio feedback. As soon as the visitors disturb the microphone from its suspended state, the audio system automatically starts up and the deafening roar of a 40-megaphone chorus of amplified feedback collapses on the bell-ringer.
Metalwork:Heinz Nink, Bernd Voss |
Electrical installation:Martin Nawrath |
Photography:Ilya Stahl, Alwin Lay |
Sound:Martin Nawrath |
Advising:Julia Scher |
Production:KHM, Academy of Media Arts Cologne |