Earspeakers

What are EARSPEAKERS?

Earspeakers are interactive sound sculptures in the shape of human ears. Epoxy resin cast sculptures, adequately coated to their character, emit three sound categories:

• urban and industrial sounds: St. Mary’s Basilica bugle-call, the sound of the Nowa Huta steel mill, the lighting of kerosene lamp, de-bunging;
• sounds referring to the region’s folk culture: the trombita, sounds of Highland, Jewish and Romany bands;
• natural sounds: sounds from the high pastures with sheep, Wierzchowska Cave, Niepołomice Primeval Forest, Błędów Desert.

Why do EARSPEAKERS emit sounds?

The non-standard shape of the sculptures is no mistake. It was chosen to draw the audiences’ attention to the mere action of listening and thus encourage them to actively discover the Małopolska sound sphere.
Earspeakers are sculptures not only to be looked at. Due to their natural auricular form each earspeaker emits sounds at a low power cost which are audible within approx. 40 cm. In order to distinguish individual sounds, the listener needs to come close to the sculpture, ear to ear. Earspeakers do not disturb the silence and require listeners’ concentration to provide them with the sounds of the Małopolska region.

How were EARSPEAKERS created?

Earspeakers were invented as an “outdoor exhibition” organised within The Days of the Małopolska Region in Brussels. The starting point was to illustrate Małopolska versatility with its sounds emphasised in the form of acoustic sculptures. The concept’s author, Łucja Piekarska-Duraj of the Małopolski Institute of Culture wished to abandon the concept of image or photo display and consider exhibition space as ground for sound presentation instead.
This idea challenged Marcin Klag, a MIK designer also responsible for the visual identification of the project, who invited Mariusz Ratajczyk, a Kraków sculptor and conservator to co-operate. He designed and produced the ear mould, later used by “KRAS-POL”, producer of garden figures. Ready sculptures were coated with patterns by Maciej Buś.
At the same time, one of the Kraków companies “Senga” worked on an intelligent sound emitter which could be placed inside a sculpture with a speaker and its own power supply. Zgniatacz Dźwięków, another co-operator, was commissioned to record the open air sounds.
After the Brussels exhibition the earspeakers returned to the Institute where they hibernated throughout the winter in cosy sleeping bags. As part of Ears Tuned to the Małopolska Region. Tour 2009, the sculptures were thoroughly modernised. This time Tomasz Budzyń, a graduate of the Faculty of Industrial Design of the Kraków Academy of Fine Arts, was invited to co-operate. Together with his colleagues, Sabina Francuz and Agnieszka Pawluś, the artists designed and prepared a new graphic representation of the sculptures.

CHOPIN’S EAR

Chopin’s Earspeaker, sculpture emitting selected compositions by Fryderyk Chopin, was prepared for the celebrations of Chopin Year.