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Biography
The work of Voldemars Johansons merges his interests in visuality, sound and science and explores the perception and nature of experience in visible and audible domains. He creates experimental projects that synthesize art, science and technology to explore diverse phenomena and represent the experience through environments assembled from the visual, acoustic and spatial structures. His research interests address the organic combination of acoustic information and spatial forms in creation of sonic environments and sculptures, examining the joint morphology of acoustic, visual and spatial domains. In his work borders between the perception of the visible, the invisible and the audible dissolve to create a unified perceptual situation. “Art has the privilege of being able to reflect about the unproven, the unrecognized, thus broadening the horizons of thinking,” comments the author.
In 2007 he attains a degree from Royal Conservatoire, Institute of Sonology in Den Haag where he studied composition of electronic music with Paul Berg, Joel Ryan and Kees Tazelaar among others. After graduation his research interests pursue organic combination of acoustic information and spatial forms in creation of sonic environments and sculptures, examining the joint morphology of acoustic, visual and spatial domains.
In this line he develops critically acclaimed piece “Aero Torrents”, a waveform sculpture projected on the surface of water by sonic vibration. A combination of elements of air, water and sound simulate a chaotic ecosystem agitated by recorded wind intensity and direction patterns of recent storms in Europe are translated to waves of sound.
In 2010 he develops a large scale sculpture and composition environment “Concord” for network of electric strings in which electronic current is used to induce light emission and purely acoustic resonance, without the use of loudspeakers. The piece combining a string instrument and electronic sound a novel method, the of which into sonic quality that has been described as baroque. The same year he premiered a chamber performance “Astorius Minos” collaboration with the Latvian Radio Choir and Girts Biss, a composition for ensemble of voices, sound sculptures and electronic sound.
Another direction of his research interests explores the emergence of form in natural world as a result of a physical process. Phenomena such as diffraction of light, flow of water and light waves, geothermal activity and other natural events are presented through a prism of artistic interpretation. The studies in music composition form the foundation of his constructivist approach to arrangement in time and space.
Johanson’s work has been presented at events and diverse venues internationally: the Venice biennial of Architecture, Ars Electronica Center (Linz), BOZAR (Brussels), Ruhrtriennale (de), TodaysArt Festival (The Hague), STEIM (Amsterdam), Sound Forest (Riga), Unsound Festival (Krakow), CAC Vilnius, Concertgebouw Brugge, WRO Media art biennale (Wroclaw), LISTE art fair (Basel), the Latvian National Opera and elsewhere.
Since 2009 he works as a researcher at the Art Research Laboratory at the Liepaja University and teaches at department of New Media Studies and presently lectures at the Jazeps Vitols Latvian Academy of Music and serves as an artistic director of SWRL festival of immersive sound and science.
“The works of Voldemārs Johansons, that are known to a spectator as experimental installations and performances of water, light and sound, are based on a synergy of art and science. The artist uses data of phenomena of nature and atmosphere – power of wind, spectrum of electromagnetic waves etc. – they are being investigated, translated and displayed in a visual and sonic experience that opens new frontiers of aesthetic perception to the audience. The critics highlight the artist’s ability to convey the complicated knowledge of physics and technologies in visually fascinating and immersive to other senses manifestations.”voldemars [AT] johansons [DOT] info