ARTH 354 Studies in Interdisciplinarity in the Visual Arts: Music & Architecture
- Tuesdays, 18:00-20:15 pm
- Course delivery TBA
- Instructor: Roozbeh Tabandeh
ARTH 354 is an interdisciplinary course in Visual Arts with an equal emphasis on the auditory aspects of architectural and urban space. Recent studies have begun to approach the urban soundscape from the perspective of a variety of disciplines, and this turn expanded both the focus and the methodologies of urban sonic studies (Atkinson, 2016). Thus, the course concentrates on interdisciplinary practices that consider music and architecture as intertwined disciplines and seeks to examine the interrelations between sound and space in various auditory cultures.
In part, we study the idea of territory and frame in arts and architecture while reading texts by Elizabeth Grosz, Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari. We also outline a sketch of the rhythm analysis theory by Henry Lefebvre and Catherine Régulier. During the semester, we explore how scholars studied diverse aspects of spatial acoustics with a critical approach. Juhani Pallasmaa, for instance, criticized the architecture of our time for being ocular-centric. By bringing various historical examples, in line with Marshal McLuhan and David Howes, he argues how different senses, including the auditory, contributed to a comprehensive understanding of the architecture space and how the invention of the printing press and the shift from oral to written culture changed the balance between senses in benefit of the visual (Howes, 2005; McLuhan, 2011; Pallasmaa, 2012). We explore studies in the history of theatre and concert hall architecture in search of ideal performance conditions in concert venues (Forsyth, 1985) related to the human sensory apparatus. We also study the interrelations between sound and space to see how musical styles have been influenced by space and formulated as such because of specific spatial and acoustical conditions provided by the architecture of performance venues.
On the other hand, the history of Western art music has demonstrated an increasing interest in exploring music's spatial potentials. In this respect, many composers have actively integrated space as an essential element in their composition processes and tried to explore more diversified and experimental engagements with space. During the semester, we will analyze various listening examples from the repertoire of contemporary composers who showed significant sensitivity and spatial awareness in their compositions. However, we equally discuss the subject from a historical perspective to prove that music was never detached from space.
Although the course incorporates a robust critical approach to both disciplines, it does not necessarily require technical pre-knowledge or professional training neither in music nor architecture. Each class deals with a series of readings and listening examples. In addition, students find the chance to share their ideas through short commentary writings that they submit every week. Their participation also includes a group presentation and submitting a final paper at the end of the semester.