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Arts & Communication Push the ENVELOPE

receptors of information” and “[establishes] relationships Schaeffer, and the extended techniques used in Guero by
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between [the participants’] own background and the new Helmut Lachenmann. In the afternoon of the 1 day, Lam
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st
contexts encountered through exploration.” 11 guided the participants through the process of building
Equally the curatorial focus of the public showcase, a DIY device, called the “Sound Box Mini,” as shown in
the participants were encouraged to develop a solo or Figure 3. This electronic instrument was designed by Lam,
group work for the internal showcase on the last day of inspired by Nicolas Collins’ book Handmade Electronic
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the Camp, and to be refined for the public showcase a Music. It is a portable listening device that consists of an
month afterward. They presented a wide variety of works electromagnetic field microphone, a contact microphone,
that adopts various mediums, including moving images, a solar panel, and a speaker. The participants were guided
performance art, structured improvisation with self-made in the building process, from soldering the contact
instruments, sound sketches, and musical performances microphone, through installing the input switch and
(Figure 2). The participants who are art practitioners are amplification input, to assembling the “box,” in a step-by-
found comfortable to derive the presentation from their step instruction presentation (Figure 4).
practices, for instance, creating their own moving image The second day of the Pre-course began with a field
sound designs, discovering their signature extended recording session led by Kan. The session was in two
technique in musical instruments through improvisation, parts: first, an introduction to soundscape listening, and
and devising text and score for performance art purposes. then, practical guidance in the use of field recording
The participants were provided with access to both equipment. The Zoom H1N Handy Recorders and
software and hardware devices and guidance from the headphones were distributed to the participants to explore
Artist Teachers. These artists have continued to work the techniques. The session was concluded by providing an
together, an exciting outcome deriving from their collective overview of the field recording community in Hong Kong,
experience in collaborative knowledge exchange, as seen which includes projects such as WAVINCITY (https://
in Sonic Anchor, Twenty Alpha, and other underground wavincity.com) and sound pocket library (https://www.
performance series in Hong Kong, including Exit-Entry thelibrarybysoundpocket.org.hk) as well as Kan’s own “AK
and Haptic Collision. in KK” (https://akinkk.com), which adopts field recording
as an artistic practice.
4. Implementation
The day was followed by Lau’s session on the basics
4.1. Pre-course activities of sound art and the relation of sound to other existing
On the 1 day, Shuen provided an introduction to sound artistic practices. Lau opened the discussion by proposing
st
and listening through conducting a series of listening to question “what sound art can be,” instead of “what sound
exercises and discussions on listening habits, and drawing art is.” The discussion is initiated to establish the basis of
relevance to concepts such as the three listening modes the thinking process, as opposed to imposing a specific
(causal, semantic, and reduced) proposed by Michel school of esthetics or practices. A series of existing works
Chion and musique concrète (concrete music) by Pierre that may fall into the category of “sound art” were shown
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to the class. While a concrete definition of “sound art” was
not provided, Lau provided his own classification of sound
art practices as tangible (installations and sculptures),

Figure 2. Group Performance at the Public Showcase performed by
participants of the Camp. Copyright © 2023 Contemporary Musiking Figure 3. DIY Sound Box Mini designed by Lam. Copyright © 2023
Hong Kong. Reprinted with permission of Contemporary Musiking Contemporary Musiking Hong Kong. Reprinted with permission of
Hong Kong. Contemporary Musiking Hong Kong.

Volume 3 Issue 3 (2025) 5 doi: 10.36922/ac.6236