The Song of Time – Sound Bath for Six is a table with a surface cut and treated to resemble the rings of a tree. Six headphones come out of the table, and there’s a big red button in the middle. Pressing the button switches the sound from the multi-voice ensemble to a randomly selected individual singer for a moment. Every listening session is different. Depending on the listener, the piece can last from 10 to 35 minutes.
The narrator is Eeva-Maija Haukinen. The choirs will perform Owla, a piece composed by Anna Voutilainen. The choirs heard in the work are Cassiopeia, Cantio Laudis and Tuira Chamber Choir, all based in Oulu. The table has been cut to shape and grained by Venla Kitti.
Jaakko Autio has based his mini art cabinet on the word owla, which means flood and comes from the ancient Finnish language. The flood is a metaphor for the inner emotions of a human being. In autumn 2023, Owla can be experienced as a multi-channel sound installation at the Oulu Art Museum.
Mini art cabinet technical specifications and transportation
The height of the table is 47 cm, and its diameter is 84 to 102 cm. The work comes with instructions for unpacking, packaging and using it. Two people are required to assemble the table. The electronic components are protected under the table inside an enclosure. Assemble the table in a place where it can remain for the entire loan period and where it is easy to access. The piece can be listened to while sitting in a chair or from a hospital bed.
The Song of Time – Sound Bath for Six is be transported to the provinces with Matkahuolto. The loan period is approximately two weeks, and the loan is free of charge for municipalities and welfare areas in Kainuu and North Ostrobothnia. Oulu Art Museum arranges the transportation while the exhibitor oversees displaying and storing the artwork and for ensuring its safety during the loan period. The mini art cabinet can also be loaned to other parts of Finland for a fee.
Open the booking form for The Song of Time – Sound Bath for Six mini art cabinet (in Finnish).
Jaakko Autio is interested in the local in his sound art
The Helsinki-based sound artist explores spaces between people and the human ability to merge into larger wholes.
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