Artists & Engineers: How We Communicate – Behind the Scenes of Sound Art (Installation/Theatre) with Multichannel Audio by Miyu Hosoi

Ircam Forum Workshops

Presented by : Hosoi Miyu

Biography

The primary goal of this presentation is to share a example of how artists and engineers communicate when creating works that incorporate technology. Additionally, it aims to facilitate more dynamic and meaningful conversations between artists and engineers. As part of this discussion, I will also introduce the systems behind some of my multi-channel audio installations/theatre pieces.

This presentation approaches the topic from a slightly different perspective than most, but I believe it is a crucial and necessary discussion. Of course, it would be impossible for me to speak on behalf of all artists regarding their relationships with engineers. Instead, I will share my personal experiences.

The inspiration for this presentation comes from my recent experiences receiving collaboration requests from various engineers, companies, and research institutions. While I am grateful for these opportunities, I have increasingly noticed gaps—sometimes small, sometimes significant—between artists and engineers when we start communicating. This is particularly evident among engineers who have not previously worked on artistic projects.

That said, we as artists must never forget to appreciate the fact that these engineers are interested in engaging with art. Many works could not have come to life without their contributions.

These gaps can manifest in various ways—differences in the expected quality, the balance between concept and technology, and many other aspects. Since every artist and engineer has their own unique values and perspectives, it is difficult to define these gaps in a single, clear-cut way. For instance, there can be fundamental differences in whether technology is being used to maximize the artistic concept or whether the artwork itself is being used as a means for technological development.

Institutions like IRCAM, where dedicated teams exist to support artistic production, are quite rare. Even highly skilled engineers may not always have opportunities to engage in the process of bringing an artistic concept to life. And artists also tend to be demanding, sometimes unreasonably so.

However, despite these gaps, I firmly believe that we as artists must not stop engaging in conversations with engineers. For artists who heavily rely on technology, gaining interest from engineers and research institutions is essential, as continued artistic development would be impossible without their support and understanding.

At the same time, I believe that we, as artists, also need to clearly communicate how we think and approach our creative processes.

It would be a great pleasure if, in the future, this presentation leads to new collaborations with those who attend.