Fiera del Suono
Discover the shared history of fairgrounds, art and new technologies in an immersive sound experience.
Step right up to an immersive art extravaganza! Picture this: A 3000 ft2 / 300 m2 area as a canvas for a sensational spatial audio experience. Behold colossal inflatable abstractions of carnival wonders, pulsating with history through location-driven sound. Journey through the centuries, as the carnival emerges as a hub for diverse arts like live theater and dance, while showcasing groundbreaking inventions like photography, steam engines, electricity and virtual realities.
A crystal ball-toting fortune teller guides you on a time-traveling adventure, where the symphony of artists, circus horses, barrel organs, roller coasters and AI-prophets propels you into the future. Immerse yourself in a dynamic auditory landscape, equipped with location-based audio via open headphones ánd a spatial soundscape resonating from sixtyfour speakers. Move around, and the narrative unfolds, revealing different chapters of this mesmerizing story.
Spatial Audio Experience
Crafted by the media art collective DROPSTUFF MEDIA in collaboration with the Netherlands Institute for Sound & Vision, Stadsmuseum Tilburg, Usomo Berlin, and student groups from leading institutions, including the Hogeschool van Amsterdam, Hogeschool Utrecht, and Fontys School of Arts Tilburg, Fiera del Suono is more than an art project – it’s a journey through sound, vision, smell and time.
Fiera del Suono’s mission is to bring cultural heritage collections and artistic narratives close to a wider audience. In recent years, audio has emerged as a powerful medium, with technological advancements enabling richer and more immersive experiences. The project draws on audio materials from The Netherlands Institute for Sound & Vision and private audio collections, featuring voiceovers by esteemed artists.
Development Program: Iterative Design
This project is supported by Cultuurloket DigitALL and the national development program Innovatielabs of the Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie and CLICKNL, in which parties from the cultural and creative sector investigate current challenges. Project participating in Innovatielabs are involved in the continuous development duri two years in a process of care-named ‘iterative design’; presentation, evaluation and further development. Cultuurloket DigitALL helps the cultural sector to strengthen the contact with the public through digital technology.
Fiera del Suono focuses on developing new ways to bring auditory (heritage) collections and creative stories closer to a wider audience. Sound & Vision, the Tilburg Regional Archives and private audio collections provide material for this purpose. New dialogues have also been recorded. Student groups from the three participating colleges participated in the development of the storyline and have conducted audience research and suggested design modifications.
Tour
The project has yet been presented in the LocHal Tilburg, Big Art Amsterdam and at the Netherlands Institute of Sound and Vision in Hilversum.
In March 2024 the project will be on show at the renowned SXSW festival in Austin Texas, USA.
March 10-13, Creative Industries Expo, Austin Convention Center, booth 1863
Developed in collaboration with:
Script: Thomas de Bres and Albert Meijer
Art direction: Thomas de Bres
Animations: Eva Kröse
Video: Ard van der Veldt
Music arrangement: Yannick Verhoeven and Brian Oomens.
Sound system spatial audio and production: usomo by FRAMED immersive projects.
Voice Actors English: Loveday Smith, Susannah Montgomery, Laura Scholte, Benjamin Hull, Sterre Holdstock, Sheeyla Gerard, Rebecca Haselhoff, Robin Macdaniel, Rachel Somers Miles, Chip Bray, Greg Shapiro, Rutger Remkes, Nyah, Ian and Shani
Voice Actors Dutch: Hetty Heyting, Saskia Temmink, Thomas de Bres, Elisa Beuger, Kevin Klein, Nur Dabagh, Rick van den Belt, Cindy Paans, Erik Geurssen and Paul R. Disbergen.
Pictures: Maarten van Haaff
Immersieve Audio Experience
2023-2024
Concept and Production:
DROPSTUFF MEDIA
In collaboration with:
The Netherlands Institute for Sound & Vision, Stadsmuseum Tilburg, Hogeschool van Amsterdam, Hogeschool Utrecht, en Fontys Hogeschool voor de Kunsten Tilburg
Supported by:
Cultuurloket DigitALL
Innovatielabs
Fonds Erfgoed Tilburg
