4HANDS Collaboration Project > Life and Death

Unknown Gift - detail
Unknown Gift - detail
Tracing paper, glue, thread, ink print, sound: Casio CTK-3000-synthesizer, Stagg acoustic guitar, RP-50 effect pedal, Z00M R-16 recorder, lungs, video projection
2010

Collaboration: Christian Nicolay & Ya-chu Kang

The “unknown gifts” project asked for participators to share their memories or feelings about death, and imagine a gift for themselves if they die, based from the Funerary Paper burning traditions in Taiwan. Ya-chu Kang made these gifts into paper sculptures and presented as an installation using video projections. Christian Nicolay responded to the installation by composing a 19 minute and 25 second soundtrack of what he thought the installation and concept sounded like. His use of consonance and dissonance, melody and chaotic patterns unify the concept to reflect the known and unknown qualities of life and death. All of the sounds are original and were made during the artists Residency Period at Taipei Artists Village in Taipei Taiwan, October 1 to Nov 12, 2010.