- Palazzo Nuovo
via Sant'Ottavio 20
10124 - Torino
Italy
- Semiotics, Semiotics of Music, Film Semiotics, Computer Music, Sound and Music Computing, Soundscapes Theory and Practice, and 25 moreMultimedia, Musicology, Electronic Music, Contemporary Music, Soundscape Studies, Soundscape Design, Performing Arts, Visual Semiotics, Semiotica, Cultural Semiotics, Music, Phonology, Computational Linguistics, Computational Modelling, Italian Literature, Environmental Philosophy, 20th Century Italian Literature, Environmental Humanities, Madness and Literature, Phonological Acquisition, Interactive Art, Physical Computing, Sound Design, Interactive Arts, and Musical Compositionedit
The paper introduces a series of techniques for algorithmic composition in which compositional data are extracted from audio at the sample level. In this way, typical Digital Signal Processing operations can act as tools to... more
The paper introduces a series of techniques for algorithmic composition in which compositional data are extracted from audio at the sample level. In this way, typical Digital Signal Processing operations can act as tools to create/retrieve music materials. First, in order to describe audio-driven processes in composition, the notion of audioparity is introduced. Secondly, various approaches are discussed that map sample values to composition events. The implementation of these processes is then presented, in particular in relation to music notation generation. Finally, the paper discusses some applications of the same techniques to physical computing.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The article aims at relating two aspects of film as a textual object. The first concerns its narratological status. Semiotic studies have often discussed “expansion” and “condensation” as two procedures for which a set of sense units are... more
The article aims at relating two aspects of film as a textual object. The first concerns its narratological status. Semiotic studies have often discussed “expansion” and “condensation” as two procedures for which a set of sense units are respectively distributed on a larger scale or concentrated in a reduced one. The second aspect is related to the contribution of the audible dimension to filmic enunciation, in the context of the so-called “audiovision”, i.e. the regime of basic enunciation of the post-silent cinema. In this sense, sound should not be considered per se, rather as an element of variable relevance within the audiovisual discourse. Moreover, sound triggers a specific perceptual dimension that has not always been fully considered in cinema studies. In order to bring together these two aspects, the contribution proposes two “micro-analyses of the audible”, by taking into consideration two very short sequences (from Alien and Matrix, so as to constitute a microcorpus of Hollywood science fiction), in which sound nevertheless plays a (curiously) pivotal role. For duration and content, the sequences seem to have a marginal role in the overall context of the filmic text: by means of sound organization, however, each condenses some fundamental textual elements of the whole film.
Research Interests:
Osservazioni sulla configurazione passionale di Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver di M. Scorsese
Research Interests:
[ITA] An introductory discussion on the role of the audible dimension in Cries and whispers by I. Bergman.
Research Interests:
Programming languages represent a class of semiotic systems that has mostly escaped semiotic literature, as they have been typically regarded as mechanical and, thus, far from the complexity of man–made systems. The contribution aims at... more
Programming languages represent a class of semiotic systems that has mostly escaped semiotic literature, as they have been typically regarded as mechanical and, thus, far from the complexity of man–made systems. The contribution aims at introducing some general aspects of programming language by proposing a theoretical semiotic framework. Enunciation is taken into account and its effects are investigated in relation to three programming language paradigms.
Research Interests:
Systema Naturae is a cycle of four compositions written for various instrumental ensembles and electromechanical setups. The workflow includes design and construction of electromechanical instruments, algorithmic composition, automated... more
Systema Naturae is a cycle of four compositions written for various instrumental ensembles and electromechanical setups. The workflow includes design and construction of electromechanical instruments, algorithmic composition, automated notation generation, real-time control of the setups and synchronization with the acoustic ensemble during the performances. These various aspects have to be integrated in a unique working pipeline, that has to be shared between the two authors, and thus requires to define communication protocols for sharing data and procedures. The paper reports on those aspects and on the integration required between hardware and software, non-real time and real time operations, acoustic and mechanical instruments, and, last but not least, between the two composers.
Research Interests:
The paper discusses a generative approach to the design of experimental electronic circuits for musical application. The model takes into account rewriting rules inspired by L-systems constrained by domain-specific features depending on... more
The paper discusses a generative approach to the design of experimental electronic circuits for musical application. The model takes into account rewriting rules inspired by L-systems constrained by domain-specific features depending on electronic components, and generates families of circuits. An integrated production pipeline is introduced, that ranges from algorithmic design to simulation up to hardware printing.
Research Interests:
In the following contribution I will propose a semiotics of the audible as the background, rooted in perception, of a semiotics of the music. My aim is to provide a theoretical framework as general as possible, and thus —of course —... more
In the following contribution I will propose a semiotics of the audible as the background, rooted in perception, of a semiotics of the music. My aim is to provide a theoretical framework as general as possible, and thus —of course — approximate and sketchy, by introducing a set of notions that are intended to ful ll the minimal requirements for a de nition of the audible domain from a semiotic point of view. I will also advance some methodological hypotheses concerning the description of both listening and sound, based on a semiotic interpretation of Pierre Schae er’s proposals. Indeed, the whole plan may sound too ambitious, as it would require a much longer discussion than the following. In this sense, the contribution may be read as a sort of manifesto, posing in form of theses a number of notions and categories intended to be questioned in the future.1
Research Interests:
Even if lasting less than three minutes, Iannis Xenakis' Concret PH is one of the most influential works in the electroacoustic domain. It was originally created to be diffused in the Philips Pavilion, designed by the same Xenakis for the... more
Even if lasting less than three minutes, Iannis Xenakis' Concret PH is one of the most influential works in the electroacoustic domain. It was originally created to be diffused in the Philips Pavilion, designed by the same Xenakis for the 1958 World Fair in Brussels. As the Pavilion was dismantled in 1959, the original spatialization design devised from the Pavilion has been lost. The paper presents new findings about the spatialization of Concret PH. It discusses them in the light of Xenakis' aesthetics, and consequently proposes a plausible reconstruction of the spa-tialization design. Finally, it proposes a real-time, interactive implementation of the reconstructed spatialization, rendered on a 8-channel setup using a VBAP technique.
Research Interests:
This paper presents a study of the score of John Cage's Imaginary Landscape No. 4 for 12 radios and 24 players. After introducing the work and its history, the paper shows the relation between the formal operations at its origin and the... more
This paper presents a study of the score of John Cage's Imaginary Landscape No. 4 for 12 radios and 24 players. After introducing the work and its history, the paper shows the relation between the formal operations at its origin and the final score. An annotation format is then introduced , and the resulting annotated version of the score is discussed. The latter may be used as an analytical tool, as a performing aid for human players, and as source data for an automated realization of the work. Finally, a complete graphic score is presented, obtained from data processing and displaying.
Research Interests:
The paper presents a reconstruction of the automatic poetry generation system realized in Italy in 1961 by Nanni Balestrini to compose the poem Tape Mark I. The major goal of the paper is to provide a critical comparison between the... more
The paper presents a reconstruction of the automatic poetry generation system realized in Italy in 1961 by Nanni Balestrini to compose the poem Tape Mark I. The major goal of the paper is to provide a critical comparison between the high-level approach that seems to be suggested by the poet, and the low-level combinatorial algorithm that was actually implemented. This comparison allows to assess the relevance of how the available technology constrained and shaped the work of the poet, to reveal some of his aesthetic assumptions, and to discuss some aspects of the relation between human and the machine in the creative process.
Research Interests:
[ITA] The paper discusses the analysis and simulation of the soundscape of the outdoor market of Porta Palazzo in Torino. It introduces some general considerations, a computational framework and finally presents the simulation results.
Research Interests:
The paper deals with strategies and techniques for building and using “residual orchestras”, that is, ensembles of low cost music instruments that can be controlled by the computer. First, the notion of “residual” is discussed as a... more
The paper deals with strategies and techniques for building and using “residual orchestras”, that is, ensembles of low cost music instruments that can be controlled by the computer. First, the notion of “residual” is discussed as a keyword for the project. Then, the physical computing scenario is introduced, as it is the main reference for all the discussed projects. The inspiring“punk”philosophy is presented,and basic values and principles for design and implementation are discussed, in particular “refabrication”, softening, flexibility. A design/ production pipeline is presented that takes into account the three different layers in residual orchestras: physical, physical computing, computation. Finally, some projects that have been realized are shortly discussed.
Research Interests:
In this paper we describe the SoDA project, that aims at automatically generating soundscapes from a database of annotated sound files. The rationale of the project lies in the ubiquitous requirement for sound designer to produce... more
In this paper we describe the SoDA project, that aims at automatically generating soundscapes from a database of annotated sound files. The rationale of the project lies in the ubiquitous requirement for sound designer to produce backgrounds that include specific multi-layered sound materials. SoDA provides an ontologically-annotated database that allows the sound designer to describe the desired sound- scape by keywords: by referring to the database, the system then delivers a resulting audiofile.
Research Interests:
This paper presents a formal system for the algorithmic control of composition based on granular synthesis. The system features two description levels: a low level, that organizes grains into a graph structure, and a high level, that... more
This paper presents a formal system for the algorithmic control of composition based on granular synthesis. The system features two description levels: a low level, that organizes grains into a graph structure, and a high level, that distributes the graphs of the low level in specific locations of a space. A composition is a trajectory in the space, appropriately interpreted to control a number of parameters of physical and musical relevance. The paper is organized as follows: first, we introduce the composition process with granular synthesis and we briefly outline the current approaches to control; second, we describe the formal system in terms of the two levels that compose it; finally, we see how the system can be viewed as a generalization of the note approach and the stochastic approach.
Research Interests:
This paper presents a methodology for the synthesis and interactive exploration of real soundscapes. We propose a soundscape analysis method that relies upon a sound object behavior typology and a notion of “sound zone” that collo- cates... more
This paper presents a methodology for the synthesis and interactive exploration of real soundscapes. We propose a soundscape analysis method that relies upon a sound object behavior typology and a notion of “sound zone” that collo- cates objects typologies in spatial locations. Then, a graph- based model for organising sound objects in space and time is described. Finally, the resulting methodology is discussed in relation to a case study.
Research Interests:
[ITA] A discussion concerning the status and role of subjectivity in Eco's A Theory of Semiotics
Research Interests: Semiotics and Umberto Eco
The paper deals with strategies and techniques for building and using “residual orchestras”, that is, ensembles of low cost music instruments that can be controlled by the computer. First, the notion of “residual” is discussed as a... more
The paper deals with strategies and techniques for building and using “residual orchestras”, that is, ensembles of low cost music instruments that can be controlled by the computer. First, the notion of “residual” is discussed as a keyword for the project. Then, the physical computing scenario is introduced, as it is the main reference for all the discussed projects. The inspiring “punk” philosophy is presented, and basic values and principles for design and implementation are discussed, in particular “refabrication”, softening, flexibility. A design/production pipeline is presented that takes into account the three different layers in residual orchestras: physical, physical computing, computation. Finally, some projects that have been realized are shortly discussed.
Research Interests:
The article proposes a survey of the notion of "digital creativity" and discusses the results from an annotated bibliography, explored by means of citation graphs
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The SoDA (Sound Design Accelerator) project aims at providing a flexible software environment for soundscape generation. Based on semantic information, it provides both an annotation schema and an annotated library of sound files that... more
The SoDA (Sound Design Accelerator) project aims at providing a flexible software environment for soundscape generation. Based on semantic information, it provides both an annotation schema and an annotated library of sound files that operates in relation to a generative system that delivers the final audio content. SoDA provides the user with various forms of interaction: from incremental assisted exploration of semantic and audio content in real-time to completely automated off-line soundscape composition. In this paper we describe the semantic and audio components and the various interaction modes.
Research Interests:
This paper describes SoundScapeGenerator, a generic sys-tem for modelling and simulating soundscapes both in realand non-real time. SoundsScapeGenerator features algo-rithms for three-dimensional sound-localisation and is ableto model... more
This paper describes SoundScapeGenerator, a generic sys-tem for modelling and simulating soundscapes both in realand non-real time. SoundsScapeGenerator features algo-rithms for three-dimensional sound-localisation and is ableto model complex spaces. The system relies on abstractruledescriptions(generators)tosimulatedeterministic, “car-toonified” (loosely modelled) sequencing of sound events.It further supports virtual P.O.H. (point of hearing) andis able to render the final output in various channel con-figurations. Based on generative algorithms, the Sound-ScapeGenerator implementation allows real-time user in-teraction with ever-changing soundscapes, and it can easilycommunicate with other applications and devices. Finally,we introduce SoundScapeComposer, a higher level moduledeveloped for the SoDA project (dedicated to soundscapeautomatic generation), that has been built on top of Sound-ScapeGenerator, hiding most of the latter’s details to theuser
Research Interests:
This paper describes the Gate Modulator, a device for computer-controlled analog audio processing using the Arduino board. The Gate Modulator is based on the 4066 quad bilateral switch, an integrated circuit typically used for control... more
This paper describes the Gate Modulator, a device for computer-controlled analog audio processing using the Arduino board. The Gate Modulator is based on the 4066 quad bilateral switch, an integrated circuit typically used for control applications, that is here used for audio processing at different time ranges, providing a variety of possible effects and uses. In the paper, first we consider the increasing role of the Arduino platform in audio applications, then we introduce the design and implementation of the Gate Modulator and the benefits of using Arduino as a controller, finally we describe the Otosimbionte project, an installation that exploits the capabilities of the Gate Modulator.
Research Interests:
This paper introduces an experimental digital sound synthesis technique called Permutation synthesis, which focuses around creating new waveforms by moving groups of samples (chunks}) of existing waves. Similarly to granular synthesis,... more
This paper introduces an experimental digital sound synthesis technique called Permutation synthesis, which focuses around creating new waveforms by moving groups of samples (chunks}) of existing waves.
Similarly to granular synthesis, permutation synthesis is a time-based technique, i.e. it operates directly on the discrete waveform: by means of varying the length of the chunks, several perceptual effects can be obtained.
The most important parameter in permutation synthesis is the permutation frequency, which is inversely proportional to the chunk length; the resolution of this parameter is directly related to the sampling frequency (given the fact that a chunk is always an integer number of samples), thus a time-quantisation error is defined.
An algorithm for real-time permutation implemented as a SuperCollider plug-in is described, consisting of 3 “UGens” performing permutation synthesis in slightly different ways. The resulting signals are then analysed and their time and spectral effects are justified by defining formulas that analytically quantify the results.
Similarly to granular synthesis, permutation synthesis is a time-based technique, i.e. it operates directly on the discrete waveform: by means of varying the length of the chunks, several perceptual effects can be obtained.
The most important parameter in permutation synthesis is the permutation frequency, which is inversely proportional to the chunk length; the resolution of this parameter is directly related to the sampling frequency (given the fact that a chunk is always an integer number of samples), thus a time-quantisation error is defined.
An algorithm for real-time permutation implemented as a SuperCollider plug-in is described, consisting of 3 “UGens” performing permutation synthesis in slightly different ways. The resulting signals are then analysed and their time and spectral effects are justified by defining formulas that analytically quantify the results.
Research Interests:
This paper describes SoundScapeGenerator, a generic system for modelling and simulating soundscapes both in real and non-real time. SoundsScapeGenerator features algorithms for three-dimensional sound-localisation and is able to model... more
This paper describes SoundScapeGenerator, a generic system for modelling and simulating soundscapes both in real and non-real time. SoundsScapeGenerator features algorithms for three-dimensional sound-localisation and is able to model complex spaces. The system relies on abstract rule descriptions (generators) to simulate deterministic, “cartoonified” (loosely modelled) sequencing of sound events. It further supports virtual P.O.H. (point of hearing) and is able to render the final output in various channel configurations. Based on generative algorithms, the SoundScapeGenerator implementation allows real-time user interaction with ever-changing soundscapes, and it can easily communicate with other applications and devices. Finally, we introduce SoundScapeComposer, a higher level module developed for the SoDA project (dedicated to soundscape automatic generation), that has been built on top of SoundScapeGenerator, hiding most of the latter's details to the user.
Research Interests:
In this paper we describe the SoDA project, that aims at automatically generating soundscapes from a database of annotated sound files. The rationale of the project lies in the ubiquitous requirement for sound designer to produce... more
In this paper we describe the SoDA project, that aims at automatically generating soundscapes from a database of annotated sound files. The rationale of the project lies in the ubiquitous requirement for sound designer to produce backgrounds that include specific multi-layered sound ma- terials. SoDA provides an ontologically-annotated database that allows the sound designer to describe the desired sound- scape by keywords: by referring to the database, the sys- tem then delivers a resulting audiofile.
Research Interests:
[ITA] A semiotic discussion of the relation between sound and body, in relation to various regimes of sign notation
Research Interests:
[ITA] A short introduction to some relevant epistemological aspects of Eco's Theory of modes of semiotic production
Research Interests:
[ITA] A study that aims at defining some general semiotic features of the notion of "digestive space" in the framework of a semiotics of the body, and to map them on two very different objects, a tunisine therapy and an architectural... more
[ITA] A study that aims at defining some general semiotic features of the notion of "digestive space" in the framework of a semiotics of the body, and to map them on two very different objects, a tunisine therapy and an architectural project (the Philips Pavilion).
Research Interests:
[ITA] A survey and a discussion on the epistemological status of the expression/content theoretical couple in particular in Greimasian school and Eco's semiotics
Research Interests:
[ITA] An analysis of the notorious opening sequence of Sergio Leone's Once upon a time in the West, from the viewpoint of sound materials in relation to narrative construction
Research Interests:
[ITA] In the framework of a semiotics of the audible, the article discusses two possibile phenomenological forms in which sound seems to manifest itself, perceptually and culturally.
Research Interests:
A discussion and a reorganisation from a semiotic viewpoint of Schaeffer's Theory of listening
Research Interests:
[ITA] A discussion and a reorganisation from a semiotic viewpoint of Schaeffer's Theory of listening
Research Interests:
The paper presents a software solution for audio multi- process setups, i.e. where many different audio software setups are to be fast loaded/unloaded, that has been implemented for Marcel·l ́ı Antu ́nez Roca’s last work Pseudo (2012).
Research Interests:
[ITA] Programming languages are a class of semiotics of great interest, although little investigated by current semiotic literature. Their explicit linguistic nature, together with their artificiality, make them an interesting test bed... more
[ITA]
Programming languages are a class of semiotics of great interest, although little investigated by current semiotic literature. Their explicit linguistic nature, together with their artificiality, make them an interesting test bed for a theory of enunciation. In our contribution we discuss some introductory elements for an analysis of the categories of persona, space and time in programming languages, demonstrating the “ethnographic” variability that results from the presence of various linguistic paradigms.
Programming languages are a class of semiotics of great interest, although little investigated by current semiotic literature. Their explicit linguistic nature, together with their artificiality, make them an interesting test bed for a theory of enunciation. In our contribution we discuss some introductory elements for an analysis of the categories of persona, space and time in programming languages, demonstrating the “ethnographic” variability that results from the presence of various linguistic paradigms.
Research Interests:
The article describes the design, production and usage of the ‘Rumentarium’, a computer-based sound generating system involving physical objects as sound sources. The Rumentarium is a set of handmade resonators, acoustically excited by DC... more
The article describes the design, production and usage of the ‘Rumentarium’, a computer-based sound generating system involving physical objects as sound sources. The Rumentarium is a set of handmade resonators, acoustically excited by DC motors, interfaced to the computer by means of various microcontrollers. Following an ecological/anthropological approach, in the Rumentarium discarded materials are used as sound sources. Every instrument is ‘produced while designed’ in an improvisation-like manner, starting from available materials. In this way, hardware is ‘softened’: that is, it can be continuously modified as in software development. Analogously, the onsite setup is very light, so that components can be added or removed on the fly, even while the Rumentarium is at work. Differently from typical computer music, the Rumentarium, while entirely computationally controlled, is an acoustic sound generator. On one hand, the Rumentarium can be played like an instrument in conjunction with a MIDI controller, for use in live musical performance. On the other side, it can be driven by algorithmic strategies. In this way, the Rumentarium can be configured also as a sound installation, in a standalone mode. Some artistic works are discussed while introducing the various control modalities that have been specifically developed for the Rumentarium.
Research Interests:
[ITA] A collection of 35 poems generated from a corpus-based Markov algorithm. Original poems are by G.P. Caprettini, to whom the work pays homage. Notes to the texts are included, trying to show the homogeneity of the newly generated... more
[ITA] A collection of 35 poems generated from a corpus-based Markov algorithm. Original poems are by G.P. Caprettini, to whom the work pays homage. Notes to the texts are included, trying to show the homogeneity of the newly generated poems to the original ones. It includes also a final essay, describing the experiment in the context of semiotics
Research Interests:
Marcel·lí Antúnez Roca is a well-known figure in the field of interactive multimedia performances. His latest work, Cotrone (2010), is an interactive play inspired by Luigi Pirandello's last, unfinished masterpiece I giganti della... more
Marcel·lí Antúnez Roca is a well-known figure in the field of interactive multimedia performances. His latest work, Cotrone (2010), is an interactive play inspired by Luigi Pirandello's last, unfinished masterpiece I giganti della montagna (The Mountain Giants). In Cotrone, two performers on stage tell the many proliferating stories that were left unfinished in the original play. This work is done through the use of animated video clips that are controlled interactively by the performers wearing sensor-equipped exoskeletons. Through these means the performers can also trigger audio samples as well as record, process and play back their voices. A third interactive device is provided by six pressure-sensitive carpets on stage. In Cotrone there are three kinds of audio elements: background sounds for each scene of the play, interaction sounds, and sound for the animated clips. The authors of this article were responsible for the production of all the sound material (music and sound design). We discuss the main issues that emerged, in particular the absence of an established production model, and the need for developing a new one, tuned to Cotrone's technical and aesthetic features. Instead of considering sound design and music composition as two separate domains, the authors developed an integrated approach that included a customised workflow. The notion of ‘computational primitivism’ was formulated as a guideline for the work, with this term indicating the pervasive use of computational strategies for sound design/music composition and how this relates to an archaic, body-related, strictly acoustic sonic imagery. A second relevant issue is the integrated approach related to the metalinguistic tension present in the work.
Research Interests:
The use of feedback-based systems in the music domain dates back to the 1960s. Their applications span from music composition and sound organization to audio synthesis and processing, as the interest in feedback resulted both from... more
The use of feedback-based systems in the music domain dates back to the 1960s. Their applications span from music composition and sound organization to audio synthesis and processing, as the interest in feedback resulted both from theoretical reflection on cybernetics and system theory, and from practical experimentation on analog circuits. The advent of computers has made possible the implementation of complex theoretical systems in audio-domain oriented applications, in some sense bridging the gap between theory and practice in the analog domain, and further increasing the range of audio and musical applications of feedback systems. In this article we first sketch a minimal history of feedback in music; second, we briefly introduce feedback systems from a theoretical point of view; then we propose a set of features that characterize them from the perspective of music applications; finally, we propose a typology targeted at feedback systems used in the audio/musical domain and discuss some relevant examples.
Research Interests:
An in-depth account of the VEP - Virtual Electronic Poem EU-funded project that has lead to the reconstruction in VR (audio and CG) of the Poème électronique
Research Interests:
An analysis of Vargtimmen's complex narrative/enunciative structure from the perspective of landscape and sound
Research Interests:
The paper describes an approach to the control of electromechanical devices for musical purposes (mainly, DC motors and solenoids) using audio signals. The proposed approach can be named ``audio physical computing'', i.e. physical... more
The paper describes an approach to the control of electromechanical devices for musical purposes (mainly, DC motors and solenoids) using audio signals. The proposed approach can be named ``audio physical computing'', i.e. physical computing oriented towards sound generation by means of audio signals. The approach has its origin in a previous physical computing project dedicated to music generation, the Rumentarium Project, that used microcontrollers as the main computing hardware interface. First, some general aspect of physical computing are discussed and the Rumentarium project is introduced. Then, a reconsideration of the technical setup of the Rumentarium is developed, and the audio physical computing approach is considered as a possible replacement for microcontrollers. Finally, a music work is described, in order to provide a real life example of audio physical computing.
Research Interests:
Feedback-based systems for audio synthesis and processing have been in use since the '60s, resulting both from the theoretical reflection on Cybernetics and System theory, and from the practical experimentation on analog circuits. The... more
Feedback-based systems for audio synthesis and processing have been in use since the '60s, resulting both from the theoretical reflection on Cybernetics and System theory, and from the practical experimentation on analog circuits. The advent of computers has made possible the implementation of complex theoretical systems into audio-domain oriented applications, in some sense bridging the gap between theory and practice in the analog domain, and further increasing the range of audio/musical applications of feedback systems.
In this paper, we first briefly introduce feedback systems; then, we propose a set of features to characterize them; finally we propose a typology targeted at feedback systems used in the audio/musical domain, and discuss some relevant examples.
In this paper, we first briefly introduce feedback systems; then, we propose a set of features to characterize them; finally we propose a typology targeted at feedback systems used in the audio/musical domain, and discuss some relevant examples.
Research Interests:
Alighiero Boetti is one of the most representative contemporary Italian artist and his opus is raising a constantly growing international interest. Many of his works can be realized on very different supports and make use of algorithmic... more
Alighiero Boetti is one of the most representative contemporary Italian artist and his opus is raising a constantly growing international interest. Many of his works can be realized on very different supports and make use of algorithmic procedures. This contribution analyzes a minimal work, consisting only of the linguistic description of a process, with the aim of demonstrating that, in spite of its simplicity, it shows various relevant features of Boetti's aesthetics.
Research Interests:
The paper describes the design, production and usage of the "Rumentarium", a computer-based sound generating system involving physical objects as sound sources. The Rumentarium is a set of handmade resonators, acoustically excited by DC... more
The paper describes the design, production and usage of the "Rumentarium", a computer-based sound generating system involving physical objects as sound sources. The Rumentarium is a set of handmade resonators, acoustically excited by DC motors, interfaced to a computer by four microcontrollers. Following an ecological/anthropological perspective, in the Rumentarium discarded materials are used as sound sources. While entirely computationally-controlled, the Rumentarium is an acoustic sound generator. The paper provides a general description of the Rumentarium and discusses some artistic applications.
Research Interests:
The rapid evolution of technology and the processing aspects of some contemporary art forms make maintenance and re-fruition of a number of past masterpieces a difficult task. This is especially true of multimedia installations, with... more
The rapid evolution of technology and the processing aspects of some contemporary art forms make maintenance and re-fruition of a number of past masterpieces a difficult task. This is especially true of multimedia installations, with multiple audio and video sources coordinated through some control device, which also accounts for user interaction issues. So, it is not inappropriate to speak of “archeology of multimedia” in the case of the remise-en- oeuvre of an installation. This paper describes a complete example of archeology of multimedia. In particular, the art exhibit is the reprise of the first truly multimedia show of the electronic era: Le Corbusier’s Poème électronique, displayed at the World Exhibition in Brussels in 1958. The show, conceived for the Philips Pavilion and consisting of a black&white video, color light ambiances, music moving over sound routes, visual special effects, has never been reprised after the end of the exhibition. The Poème électronique has been entirely reconstructed after a philological investigation through image archives, project sketches and technical documentation from Philips and then delivered in two virtual reality settings. Moreover, two aspects of the project are worth being abstracted from the design and realization of this specific reconstruction and contribute to the design, pre-visualization and fruition of novel contemporary artworks: a language for the description of the control score and an architecture design for the integration of several media sources. The language and the architecture, with a sketch of a friendly interface, are illustrated at the end of the paper.
Research Interests:
This paper presents a graph-based system for the dynamic generation of soundscapes and its implementation in an application that allows for an interactive, real-time exploration of the resulting soundscapes. The application can be used... more
This paper presents a graph-based system for the dynamic generation of soundscapes and its implementation in an application that allows for an interactive, real-time exploration of the resulting soundscapes. The application can be used alone, as a pure sonic exploration device, but can also be integrated into a virtual reality engine. In this way, the soundcape can be acoustically integrated in the exploration of an architectonic/urbanistic landscape.
The paper is organized as follows: after taking into account the literature on soundscape, we provide a formal definition of the concept; then, a model is introduced, and finally, we describe a software application together with a case-study
The paper is organized as follows: after taking into account the literature on soundscape, we provide a formal definition of the concept; then, a model is introduced, and finally, we describe a software application together with a case-study
Research Interests:
Alighiero Boetti is one of the most representative contemporary Italian artist and his opus is raising a constantly growing international interest. Many of his works can be realized on very different supports and make use of algorithmic... more
Alighiero Boetti is one of the most representative contemporary Italian artist and his opus is raising a constantly growing international interest. Many of his works can be realized on very different supports and make use of algorithmic procedures. This contribution analyzes a minimal work, consisting only of the linguistic description of a process, with the aim of demonstrating that, in spite of its simplicity, it shows various relevant features of Boetti's aesthetics.
Research Interests:
The aim of the following contribution is to provide a detailed introduction to Musica per un anno by Enore Zaffiri (hence on, MPUAN). To summarize the very complex matter that is the subject of the following discussion, MPUAN is a... more
The aim of the following contribution is to provide a detailed introduction to Musica per un anno by Enore Zaffiri (hence on, MPUAN). To summarize the very complex matter that is the subject of the following discussion, MPUAN is a one-year-long composition made entirely of sinusoidal sounds to be delivered in an unspecified environment. The paper features a literate programming approach that discusses MPUAN while proposing a new digital implementation in SuperCollider
Research Interests:
[ITA] An introduction to some key points of J.-L. Prieto's semiotics in relation to an analysis of Scorsese's classi Taxi Driver
Research Interests: Semiotics and Film Theory
[ITA] A semiotic analysis of human computer interaction in relation to computer music performances, taking into account the role of the body in relation to various musical practices involving computational devices
Research Interests:
[ITA] A discussion of strategies and techniques used in composing music for Marcel·lí Antúnez Roca's interactive performance Cotrone
Research Interests:
[ITA] A semiotic discussion about the relevance and features of sound in the horror films by Universal that established most of the cliches of the horror genre
Research Interests:
More than 40 years ago Pierre Schaeffer's Traité des objects musicaux (1966) proposed a way to think the audible domain avoiding the simple shortpaths of a pure acoustic approach. Schaeffer's attitude yielded to a double-sided analytic... more
More than 40 years ago Pierre Schaeffer's Traité des objects musicaux (1966) proposed a way to think the audible domain avoiding the simple shortpaths of a pure acoustic approach. Schaeffer's attitude yielded to a double-sided analytic device -the so-called ``typo-morphologie''- which was intended as a multifaceted tool for the description of the ``sound objects'', i.e. all the objects belonging to the audible domain. In particular, the ``typologie'' resulted in the proposal of a descriptive space where each sound object can receive a specific position. As Schaffer's ``geography of sound'' has never been consistently developed, this contribution tries to redefine the typological space in a continuous, consistent and intersubjectively usable way. The resulting space is intended as a reference frame for the phenomenological mark-up of sound objects. Due to its typological nature, it is particularly well-fitted for the annotation of sound object collections: such an annotation is relevant for the description of soundscape and audiovisual/multimedia domains but also in the analysis of music corpora. As an example, an analysis of Edgar Varèse's Poème électronique will be discussed. The music material is the unpublished original 3 track version rediscovered by the VEP project (http://edu.vrmmp.it/vep/).
Research Interests:
[ITA] An in-depth analysis of Alighiero Boetti's Alternando da 1 a 100 e viceversa series, from the a semiotic perspective investigating the notion of abstract machine. Unpublished in this version.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
[ITA] Review of “Semiotica degli oggetti”, Versus special issue 91/92, Michela Deni, eds. With Giacomo Festi.
Research Interests:
An attempt to reconsider an area that has become semiotically unknown: musical notation in its twentieth-century developments. What this study proposes is an introductory reflection to semiotics of notation considered both as a reflection... more
An attempt to reconsider an area that has become semiotically unknown: musical notation in its twentieth-century developments. What this study proposes is an introductory reflection to semiotics of notation considered both as a reflection on notation in the light of semiotics and as a semiotic work which is typical of notation as such.
On the one hand, it is a matter of taking into account the historicity of the phenomenon and the semiotic reflection that has stimulated it; the particular scale of the problem in the period 1950-70 is then investigated in relation to causes that could be defined both as "internal" (the changed state of musical matter, serial and post-serial compositional practices, happening and improvisation) and "external" (the relationship with other sectors of culture: from visual arts to literature, to philosophy).
On the other hand, the examples considered in the text are a test bench of absolute importance for the observation of the dynamics underlying a semiotically central problem such as that of notation, and of the double order (between what signs and what is signed) that it immediately evokes.
On the one hand, it is a matter of taking into account the historicity of the phenomenon and the semiotic reflection that has stimulated it; the particular scale of the problem in the period 1950-70 is then investigated in relation to causes that could be defined both as "internal" (the changed state of musical matter, serial and post-serial compositional practices, happening and improvisation) and "external" (the relationship with other sectors of culture: from visual arts to literature, to philosophy).
On the other hand, the examples considered in the text are a test bench of absolute importance for the observation of the dynamics underlying a semiotically central problem such as that of notation, and of the double order (between what signs and what is signed) that it immediately evokes.
Research Interests:
L’oggetto tradizionale della semiotica, il segno, deriva da una selezione. Il lato significante del segno non riproduce mai semplicemente quello significato, ma piuttosto ne individua un aspetto. “Aspetto” (dal latino “aspicere”,... more
L’oggetto tradizionale della semiotica, il segno, deriva da una selezione. Il lato significante del segno non riproduce mai semplicemente quello significato, ma piuttosto ne individua un aspetto. “Aspetto” (dal latino “aspicere”, “guardare”) etimologicamente designa ciò che appare, ciò che si presenta agli occhi, così come il modo in cui siffatta presentazione avviene. In inglese, “aspect” entra nella lingua verso la fine del XIV secolo come termine astrologico, il quale indica la posizione relativa dei pianeti per come appaiono dalla terra (ossia: come si “guardano” a vicenda). L’aspetto in semiotica è qualsiasi cosa spinga la realtà a convertirsi in significazione “sotto qualche rispetto”. La parola “rispetto”, notoriamente scelta da Peirce nella sua definizione canonica di segno, può essere considerata come una variante cognitiva della parola “aspetto”. Se “aspetto” è un particolare modo di guardare alle cose, “rispetto” è un particolare modo di pensarvi. Il rispetto è la controparte interna dell’aspetto. L’aspetto è la controparte esterna del rispetto. Tuttavia entrambe si riferiscono allo stesso processo: il significato deriva da una selezione, e l’atto del guardare ne è modello e più precipua metafora. Se “aspetto” (e, più precisamente in Peirce, “rispetto”) è una caratteristica generale di ogni dinamica semiotica, “aspettualità” ne è nel contempo un oggetto e un’area di investigazione tradizionalmente focalizzata in un particolare dominio (si potrebbe dire: “un aspetto dell’aspetto”): il tempo.
Research Interests: Semiotics, Cultural Semiotics, Visual Semiotics, Semiotic Anthropology, Socio-semiotics, and 52 moreSemiotics of Music, Cognitive Semiotics, Film Semiotics, Musical Semiotics, Semiotics And Language, Semiotics Of Culture, History of semiotics, Peirce Pragmaticist Semiotics, Social Semiotics, Peircean Semiotics, Mathematics and Language: Functional and Social Semiotics Perspective, Material Semiotics, Sémiotique, Semiotique, Urban Semiotics, Semiotica letteraria, Semiology, Semiótica, Sémiologie, Semiotic, Linguistic and Literary Stylistics, Semiotics, Pragmatics and Discourse Analysis, Semiología, Multimodality, Social Semiotics, Semiótica, comunicación y cultura, Estudios De Semiotica, Semiotica, Greimasian semiotics, Semiotic Analysis, Massimo Leone, Semiótica musical, Visual Communication and Visual Semiotics, Arquitetura Semiótica, Semiotik, Temporality and aspectuality, Media Semiotics - Feminism analysis of the media, Semiotika Roland Barthes, Semiotics of the passions. ST. Paul, Semiología Musical, Semiotika, Aspectual Classification, Semiologia, Semiótica Aplicada Ao Ensino De Línguas, Sémio-pragmatique, Visual Social Semiotics, Semiotika Sosial, Semiochemicals, Semiotika Komunikasi Visual, Analisis Semiotico, Semiotica Visual, Sémiotique littéraire, Semiotics. Biopolitics, and Aspectuality
[ITA] Enore Zaffiri is a pioneer of Italian electronic music. This volume collects various essays covering his life, activities, aesthetics, works.
Research Interests:
[ITA] An in-depth analysis of FF Coppola's masterpiece The Conversation, that introduces some general concepts related to a semiotics of the audible perception.
Research Interests:
[ITA] A handbook that introduces some basics aspects of SuperCollider music and audio environment
Research Interests:
A slide-oriented course in basic graphic design from a computational perspective using the Nodebox graphic programming environment
Research Interests:
The document reports back on the experience of linking the IOSONO Wave field synthesis system for virtual sound spatialization and the SuperCollider environment for algorithmic music composition and audio synthesis. Development of the... more
The document reports back on the experience of linking the IOSONO Wave field synthesis system for virtual sound spatialization and the SuperCollider environment for algorithmic music composition and audio synthesis. Development of the discussed project happened on October 18th-26th 2016 at Erich-Thienhaus-Institut (ETI), Hochschule für Musik Detmold, in the framework of the Guestprofessorship " Detmold Residence for Sound, Image & Space Design " , and was presented on October 26th at Konzerthaus Detmold, in the workshop Algorithmic spatialization. Interfacing SuperCollider to the Wave field system, with live usage of the IOSONO system.
Research Interests:
1.000 Ouroboric Short Pieces for ad libitum Improvisers
Research Interests:
In an epoch in which both global and local representations of time and space seem to undergo a dramatic shifting, the "Meetings of Meaning", the international doctoral seminar for semiotics at CIRCE, the Center for Interdisciplinary... more
In an epoch in which both global and local representations of time and space seem to undergo a dramatic shifting, the "Meetings of Meaning", the international doctoral seminar for semiotics at CIRCE, the Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Communication of the University of Turin, Italy, hosts a series of keynote lectures on the semiotics of aspectuality.