How do streets in Karlsruhe sound? Can the play of light and shadow of buildings onto Karlsruhe streets be set to music? The open-source app Shadow Play for iOS devices lets you translate architecture into sound at three different locations in Karlsruhe. By riding a bike with a smartphone mounted pointing down, the pattern of light and shadow in the streets becomes a musical score. Like a mechanical music box where the arrangement of the pins on a drum pluck the teeth of a steel comb to produce musical sounds, in Shadow Play, the transitions from light to dark drive the playback of generated sounds and sequences as well as the speed of the audio playback.
With compositions recorded by GPS tracks and performance videos, Wilcox documents the function of his work additionally. You can view the materials on an online map and find the download link for iOS devices here.
Notice: In the interests of road safety, it is obligatory to fix a smartphone holder to your bicycle’s handlebars and keep a close eye on the traffic while using the app. Best experience with sunny weather.
Supported by the UNESCO City of Media Arts Karlsruhe 2021 project support program for media art.
Shown at Seasons of Media Arts – Connected Future (2021).
Time: 17.09.2021 – 17.10.2021
Locations: Route 1: Zähringerstraße 61 via Hebelstraße to Lammstraße 10; Route 2: Hirschstraße 116 to Hirschstraße 103A; Route 3: Sophienstraße 185 to Sophienstraße 82
