Aivar Tõnso “A RESOmatic Still Life”
Dec 4-19, 2021
Sound artist Aivar Tõnso combines the practice of spatial sound with the expansion of electronic synthesizer by different resonating materials. He is interested in the experience of movement within a spatially dispersed auditory artwork. Instead of one fixed listening point, his approach is concerned with discovering sonic events at different points in space. While in his site-specific sound environments the visuals are contributed by the naturally occurring surrounds, his works in gallery settings become enhanced by the sculptural properties of materials. Aivar has been pursuing this approach ever since the first installation of the series “A Garden of Divergent Sounds” at the Tartu Art Hall. By now, he has reached a milestone where materials begin to affect the choice of sounds. Tõnso feels this is a liminal area, where care must be taken to avoid a situation where the visual aesthetics and sculpturality start to dictate and constrain the potential of sound in its creation of imaginary worlds in the listener’s mind. What remains most important is what happens at the meeting point of material and sound; in this gray area, a no man’s land, matter goes through excitement on an atomic level, and electronic sound gets transformed; uncontrolled processes take place – from the resistance of matter to the birth of new r(i)esomatic divergences.
For this exhibition, a 14-channel sound environment has been created using materials such as aluminum honeycomb panels, honeycomb cardboard, laminated plastic, reboard panels, resonance speakers, and more than 200 metres of audio cable.
Assistance was provided by Raivo Raidvee (installation), Maria Aua
(video) and Jaan Evart (graphic design). A big thanks also to Timo
Toots, whose earlier collaboration gave rise to a number of ideas present here.
Aivar Tõnso is a musician, sound artist and an interdisciplinary
cultural event curator. He’s known for electronic music projects
Hüpnosaurus, Kulgurid and Kismabande. Curated projects including
Hea Uus Heli festival and Ulmeplaadid records company. Creatively, he is interested in site-specific installations of spatial sound. He has furthered this interest with the Üle Heli festival, solo
projects, and MA studies at the EAA.
Recent sound projects:
2021 exhibition “Garden of Divergent Sounds 2” with Raul Keller, Taavi Suisalu, Katrin Enni and Sten Saarits (ARS Project Space)
2021 exhibition “Garden of Divergent Sounds” with Timo Toots, Eike Eplik and Tencu (Tartu Art Hall)
2021 film music for Maria Aua’s documentary “Rauaniit” and Ivar Murd’s experimental film “Küte”
2020 12 channel sound piece for the exhibition “Slow Light” (RCCCA)
2019 site-specific sound piece “Nordic Portal” (TAB 2019 /Musicity
Tallinn)
2019 site-specific sound performance “Heliküte” with Mihkel Tomberg
(VKG viewing platform / festival Mägede Hääl)
2018 sound installation “Mirage 2.0” (Tartu Light 2018 festival indoor exhibition Vacuum as a Way of Thinking)
2018 sound installation “SEGA mets” (Maajaam, international techno art festival “Wild Bits”)
2018 exhibition “Cannot Believe the Eyes” with Maria Aua (Virtsu, Tööstuse st popup gallery, EV100 art programme)
2017 Tartu Arch Bridge first ever light and sound design (with Sten Saarits, Martin Rästas, Liisi Küla and Roman-Sten Tõnissoo)
2017 sound installation “Heart of Stone” (Museum of Stoneworking, Culture Night 2017)