Interactive Art

East Hotel commissioned The Collective for their Art at East Program 2021, a series of sound interactive installations exhibited at the East Hotel, Tai Koo Shing in August – Oct 2021.

Concept

Sounds reveal a city’s identity, especially as metropolitans like HK, appear increasingly visually alike. Sitting in the lobby of EAST, The Collective curated these five ‘sound monsters’ formed the City Symphony, played unique sounds collected from the Taikoo neighbourhood when being activated.

Have you ever noticed some ordinary objects around you can create some unique interesting sound? City Symphony aims to bring ordinary objects from our daily life into something special and unique with a new perspective through the eyes and ears of the artists.

Sound designer, Edmund Leung from Interzone Collective composed 5 sound tracks originated from the sound samples collected in neighbourhood. Navigate the hotel compound and the neighbourhood community through musical interpretation of the space.

The appearance of the monsters are inspired by the corresponding object designed by KaCaMa Design Lab and crafted by Screw Up Studio, these 5 monsters were entirely built with wood recovered from pervious exhibitions and other projects. Beyond just creating the sound installations for the community to enjoy, one of the goals of the project was to upcycle waste wood material and give it another life.

Interactivity

When guests interact with the monsters, it activates the sound. Guests engaged in different monsters would hear a specific sound piece (interpreted by the object collected from the neighbourhood) correspond to each device’s visual representation from within.

While what’s inside remains mysterious to the general public until they explore each structure by themselves, they can hear a complied music piece generated by those structures being activated. When all monsters are being activated, it comes into a City Symphony

Sound collection sneak peek

Doggy

The Rotater

Mr. Bench

Waterfall Spider

Lady Wildcard

Team

Curator: Anita Lam, The Collective
Technical Director: Andy Stokes, The Collective
Creative Technologist: Yoki Yao, The Collective
Sound Artist: Edmund Leung, The Interzone Collective
Sculpture Artist: Match, KaCaMa Design Lab
Woodwork Artist: Screw up Studio