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Carsten Nicolai: yes/no (2008)
Can sound be visualised as an object?
Carsten Nicolai’s yes/no represents the sound vibrations of two spoken words as elaborately crafted aluminium objects, thus making the sculptural character of sound visible. Instead of focusing on the difference between the content of the words ‘yes’ and ‘no’, the sculpture emphasises the frequency differences resulting from the different sounds.
The sta... more >>
Can sound be visualised as an object?
Carsten Nicolai’s yes/no represents the sound vibrations of two spoken words as elaborately crafted aluminium objects, thus making the sculptural character of sound visible. Instead of focusing on the difference between the content of the words ‘yes’ and ‘no’, the sculpture emphasises the frequency differences resulting from the different sounds.
The starting point of the two sculptures were the words ‘yes’ and ‘no’ from a performance recorded by musician-performer Laurie Anderson. Although the content- and meaning-oriented texts are one of the most important characteristics of Laurie Anderson’s art, in Nicolai’s work her words have no meaning but rather appear to be answers to questions not asked.
Borbála Szalai
