Musical Acoustics / Instrument design
Acoustic concept for the automated sound sculpture ‘Look Up My Nose’ by artists Christine Sun Kim and Thomas Mader, part of their exhibition ‘1880 THAT’ presented at Wellcome Collection, London (April – November 2025).
Visually sculpted by the artists and technically developed in collaboration with drum builder David Faulwasser according to the artists’ desired acoustic effect.
To reflect the artist’s intention of creating a shared sonic experience accessible to both hearing and deaf audiences, without relying on touch, a specific emphasis was placed on maximizing physically perceptible airborne sound energy. The design process was based on literature by Maria Lucia Machado Duarte and Matheus de Brito Pereira, with perceptual studies involving the artists themselves as part of the methods.
A fiberglass enclosure with synthetic drum skin was shaped and tuned to allow for extended low frequency sound radiation. The object is structurally isolated from the room’s floor to ensure that percussive impulses are perceived solely via airborne transmission. 3D-modelling by Paul Gödecken. Manufactured by MDM Props.
EP Acoustics - Studio 