The Invisible: music and sound in film and visual art

Educator: Rune Søchting

Contact person: Lene Christensen, lc@rmc.dk

In this course module, THE INVISIBLE is explored as a concept and phenomenon in visual art and film in the 20th and 21st centuries. The course has two main thematic focus points:

  1. How conscious work with film’s sound elements, including voices, sound effects and music, can contribute to a complex audiovisual experience that, amongst other things, is characterized by a tension between the visible and the invisible in the film image.
  2. The role of sound and music in the visual arts.

Since the 1960s, the visual arts have been characterized by experiments with different media and formats. Sound and music, for example, become an integral part of installations and the work is increasingly thought of as something connected with a process and something performative. In this expanded medial field, the very framework of the sensory experience is put into play. Based on these focus points, we will analyze key works and their different ways of working with the invisible during this course.


PREREQUISITES
  • interest in and curiosity for audiovisual aesthetic experience.
  • interest in and curiosity for artistic positions in the 20th and 21st centuries.

LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of the module, the student will:
  • Be able to account for central artistic positions in the 20th and 21st century
  • Have knowledge of key theoretical positions in relation to analyzing audiovisual phenomena
  • Be able to reflect critically on own practice in relation to a cultural theoretical context
  • Have achieved a broader orientation in audio-visual practices in relation to the theme of the course

CONTENTS

We will work with the following areas:

  • Aesthetics theory
  • Positions in art history (including postminimalism and relational aesthetics)
  • Film sound theory
  • Analysis of works from the visual arts and film with a special focus on the audiovisual

LEVEL

BA


TIME

One semester, 2 hours per week, likely on Fridays (not scheduled yet)


ECTS

2,5 ECTS


TEACHING AND WORKING METHODS
  • Lectures
  • Presentations
  • Joint discussion

GROUP FORMATION

Usually 8-9 students


ASSESSMENTS

The assessment will be made based on a reflection essay (in writing), alternatively a podcast. A self-chosen topic must be explained within the framework of the module’s topics in the form of a reflection essay of 5 standard pages or a podcast with a duration of 10 minutes.

The essay must include a minimum of five source references, of which a minimum of two must be included in the source list for the module. This requirement also applies to podcasts.

Students with a mother tongue other than Danish can submit the assignment in Scandinavian or English. The essay is submitted in WISEflow before the deadline set by the Study Administration.


REFERENCES

Examples of readings:

Michel Chion: Voice in Cinema (excerpt)

Sanford Kwinter: Architectures of Time (excerpt)

Salome Voegelin: Listening to Noise and Silence (excerpt)

Brian Kane: Sound Unseen (excerpt)

 

Examples of artists whose works will be reviewed:

Laurie Anderson

Janet Cardiff & George Bures Miller

Susan Philipsz

Pierre Huyghe

TIME

One semester, 2 hours per week, likely on Fridays (not scheduled yet)

PLACE

Rhythmic Music Conservatory

ONLINE

No

LEVEL

BA

ETS

2,5 ECTS

LANGUAGE

Danish – but English if there are non-Danish speaking in the group

REGISTRATION

If you wish to participate in one of the TVAERS courses, you need to register 1 or 2-course requests.

Before the course start, you will be notified if you can be offered a place on a module.

Registration opens on June 3rd.

The deadline for registration for the fall semester of 2022 is 17 June

You register by this link