Pale Ink and Guqin, Zebrafish and Chinese music
Shuen-git Chow, Digital Guqin Interactive Art Research-Creation Studio, France
http://hosting.zkm.de/MIDIguqin
Guqin, the seven stringed zither is the oldest hand plucked Chinese instrument and elaborated lovingly with erudition by R. Van Gulik in English. In Chinese, as it is an intrument of the literati's, there are many more well preserved documents starting from the Tang Dynasty (600AD). The Qin holds first place of the 4 pillars of Chinese culture: Qin, Qi, Shu, Hua (seven stringed Zither, Go Game, Calligraphy, Painting). However, we have few players today, especially when compared to the number of piano players - due to many reasons.
The objectives of our creation are many - contrary to viewer's first impressions � they promote learning to play the traditional guqin - and not propose to replace the traditional method. Our creation aims to reach new audiences for the Guqin. We try to stimulate curiosity and open interest for the Guqin beautiful sounds. Most young people love computers because they want to live in their times � like everybody else - in their digital age. I present the Guqin and guqin culture through digital art works on interactive platforms � to promote and develop our Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (nov.2003 Unesco). My work is designed for kids from age 6 -106. Guqin culture is thus linked back to a global area of Chinese art in a digital age. Through our experiments, we opened a new area of research in Chinese art and digital music.
Project
We have created first versions of "Pale Ink" as a Digital Guqin Instrument, and "Zebrafish" as a Guqin serial music Jukebox.
The 2 works are composed of three parts:
- an overall conception of graphics to music interface structure, and content - a picture book of culture of the guqin, the instrument, the environment, the paintings and texts, stories - these are linked through
- an interactive software to
- a large body of sound samplings recorded by 2 guqin masters. Each musician established specific musical rules and structure and they also played the body of samplings for the artwork.
The musical structures in "Pale Ink" was designed as a Digital guqin instrument. The embedded musical rules once established, will remain fixed. However, the surface interface graphics - the triggering icons and rules for triggering - could be changed - thus giving room to future creations of new picture books and alternate montage for reading of stories with the ever renewed Digital Guqin music as output.
Who's seen it?
Presented in major conferences and specialist guqin gatherings in Beijing, Paris, San Diego, San Francisco, and Zhu ZhiChan art museum in Shanghai. Through reactions of professionals, amateurs, guqin players and comic readers, general museum visitors, we confirm that we have achieved two valuable targets :
- our idea works, the art pieces work, are fun to play with, and
- realized an original work, first in history.
More details :
http://hosting.zkm.de/MIDIguqin
Paper abstracts:
http://bedjun.free.fr/beijing/paleinkandguqin25may2004.pdf
http://bedjun.free.fr/beijing/zebrafish25may2004.pdf
Demonstration: Demonstrations [Close-Up]
Keywords: Digital Guqin, Chinese music, playing, lianhuanhua, picture book
