KiSS – Kinetics in Sound & Space

KiSS / Kinetics in Sound & Space: This acronym stands for the research project established in 2019 by the partner universities HfMT Hamburg and HAW Hamburg.

The focus of the research project was the examination of the dynamics of spatial sounds and sonic spaces. The authors illuminate the broadly conceived complex of topics from different disciplines in the sense of transdisciplinarity. Artistic and scientific disciplines enter into critical discourse with and among each other around “Kinetics in Sound & Space” and thus lay the foundation for this broadly based volume. The diversity includes different subject areas on the one hand and the (artistic¬)scientific work or methodology of the same on the other. In terms of subject matter, the articles are located in the fields of music technology/multimedia composition, media technology, musicology and theatre studies. The tension between the contributions enriches the critical reflection, for example, between artistic research and methods of historical musicology.

For the conclusion of the research project, this book on the one hand provides an insight into the work of the authors and thus presents a contribution to the current state of the individual research areas. On the other hand, the design of the volume reveals itself as a form of artistic research: spatial sound and sound space are reflected here. Under the direction of Prof. Heike Grebin and Lea Sievertsen, a team of students consisting of Leoni Roosen, Claudia Schulz, and Liad Shadmi from HAW Hamburg translated crucial aspects of space, movement, and sound into design and layout.

To enhance the dynamic nature of the research presented in the book, we developed a design concept centered around the concepts of contrast and movement. We recognized that presenting such a dynamic topic in a static medium would create an inherent contrast, and we wanted to emphasize this contrast through our design. The cover features two contrasting designs with switching colors, while the entire book uses only two contrasting Pantone colors (neon green and purple) and black, including all images and graphics. Our design approach not only reflects the research content of the book but also represents our own artistic research on spatial sound and sound space.

The bilingual publication was published by Wolke Verlag.