TOTEM

TOTEM is a sounding installation of Alessandro Sciaraffa (1976), sound artist working in Turin. In TOTEM a large metal tam-tam (about 1 meter diameter) hanging from a metal structure vibrates triggered by the sinusoidal frequencies emitted by a subwoofer placed coaxially a few inches away. The frequencies have been chosen on the basis of the acoustic analysis of the resonances of the tam-tam and listening in different environments.

These trigger frequencies can be modified live through a portable electronic controller with some knobs. By approaching, brushing, touching - with the hands or with some metallic resonant ups - the tam-tam in its sensitive nodes, anyone an play, it, modifying the harmonic frequencies, creating always different resonances determined also by the environment and the physical presence of other persons or things.

TOTEM should be presented by the artist with the aim to show and discuss features, possibilities, limits and practical behaviour of the system and trigger future developments and collaborations.