KIMA: Voice
The KIMA Voice research investigates new design strategies for participatory online art for beneficiaries with access needs. KIMA Voice is based on an artwork developed with the Analema Group, commissioned by the Royal College of Music and Imperial College. In collaboration with the charity Joy of Sound and research partners, University of Greenwich, CNWL NHS Foundation Trust, and Brunel University, this research sheds new light on the effect of participatory on wellbeing and social connectedness. Find out more about the Analema Group here.
KIMA Voice presents a real-time interface for singing and humming. The voices of two participants are compared, and vocal harmonies are visually represented as shapes. This representation of harmonies allows participants – who might never have met each other – to explore resonances within their vocal signatures in real-time.
Harmonies such as the perfect fourth, perfect fifth and unison, measured as ratios between participants’ vocal frequencies are mapped onto specific geometry: The artwork turns into a visual tuner, a visual sound instrument, that encourages participants to harmonise with each other.
The research has shown a significant effect of participatory online art on social connectedness and feeling close to one another, and yielded new insights into design and facilitation principles of online art. In particular, we were able to identify design strategies and a toolkit of access support aids that reframes the artwork. You can experience the artwork below.
Try out KIMA: Voice.
Click on the link below to explore the KIMA: Colour project. In order to best understand the artwork, click HERE to watch our onboarding facilitation video.