A Sound-Based Intervention for The Artistic Encounter
Onur Yüksel · KTH Publication Database DiVA (KTH Royal Institute of Technology) · 2017
Art experience, as an important contributor to intellectual experiences, has been studied by many researchers and philosophers to unearth and enhance certain qualities of it [9,16,21,22]. One of the ways of interpreting profound forms of art experience has been relating it with “flow,” a term that indicates a holistic sensation with the act of total involvement, concentration, intrinsic enjoyment and action-awareness [7]. Previous studies argue that looking at art experience as a form of flow, reveals its structural characteristics and dynamics more clearly, and thereby discuss art experience as a flow-conductive activity [8]. Along with that, the flow phenomenon has been studied in the context of musical activities and argued to have strong links with the musical domain [3,5]. Little is known at the moment about how musical sound can facilitate flow in the context of an art experience. This study presents a research through sound design process, with the purpose of facilitating an enhanced art experience i.e., facilitating flow in the artistic encounter. The study presents two primary contributions: (1) a presentation of the design process, consisting of an explorative prestudy at Moderna Museet in Stockholm, a followup sound experiment in an artistic encounter and (2) findings from the evaluation at Uppsala Konstmuseum, focused on identifying the impact that the designed sound artefact has had on individuals’ experiences. The author argues that the sound artefact may create an immersive environment, help initiate the mindset for introspection through the interactive characteristics and elevate conditions for flow to an observable extent. Lastly, critical reflections on the design process are also included in the final chapter to benefit research through sound design community.