System of a Down’s Serj Tankian: Disarming Time at Project Gallery Combines, Art, Music with Smart Phone App App

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Art, music, and technology merge Friday November 15 at Project Gallery when System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian presents his debut interactive art exhibit Disarming Time which is coupled with the is newly created iOS/Android App ‘Eye for Sound’ (powered by VStory).  Tankian will be on hand from 1pm to 4pm for the project and exhibition launch.

Disarming Time,  features a collection of Tankian’s twenty-two original art pieces: paintings, mixed media and sculptural works paired with a track of music composed specifically for each visual work. And here’s where the technology comes in:  Each piece of art is accompanied by a track of music composed specifically for it. Using your smart phone headphones and the Eye for Sound (powered by VStory) app, smartphones are able to scan and recognize art, and immediately cue the associated audio track and other content.  The concept plays upon Kandinksy’s synesthesia—the ability to see sounds or smell colors–and  takes the curatorial conceit of creating art based on a song (Pepper Flower curated a show based on this theme in January 2013) to the next level through the use of smart phones.  Eye for Sound can revolutionize the gallery and museum experience –no more of the those clunky audio sticks at museum shows–and allows artists and galleries to customize the listening experience for each piece of art.

Tankian says:

The urge came to me in the discovery that music has become so temporal and devalued in the world today, so I wanted to create an exclusive experience…something unique for someone to hold so they become the only person to experience this. I’m aiming to have people SEE the music and HEAR the art. Using a modern app, we’re able to take Kandinsky’s Synesthesia to a whole new level.

On one hand I am excited by this concept especially when it’s a musician creating both the art and the accompanying sounds (imagine what an exhibition of Miles Davis’s art would have been like if he created music to go with each piece!), and it can certainly enhance the museum experience, with audio tours and themed music available for exhibitions. Part of the fun of a gallery or museum is being able to  have your own internal dialogue with the art, and being able to turn towards someone, a friend or stranger and discuss the art. I love that the option for both is possible

To best experience the “Disarming Time” exhibit, Project Gallery encourages you to download the accompanying free ‘Eye For Sound’ app from the Apple App Store or Android Marketplace onto your smartphone beforehand as it is an integral part of the experience. The paintings accompanying music will stream to your smartphone via the ‘Eye For Sound’ app, and the gallery  will have some loaner headphones available at the gallery for your use. However, we do strongly encourage you to bring your favorite pair of headphones if possible.

Disarming Time runs through November 21, during gallery hours noon to 6pm.

Project Gallery
1533 Cahuenga Blvd
Los Angeles, 90028
Noon to 6pm

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