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diffraction

TAG gallery, The Hague, The Netherlands

17.12 - 17.01.2011

Diffraction
The phenomenon of diffraction is richly significant in sound art, installation works and electronic music. Reducible to mathematical formulas, and yet unpredictable in its complexity, it embodies ideas of order, chaos and the tension between them. This exhibition brings together works from Mika Vainio (Pan Sonic), David Letellier (Kanding Ray) (both in collaboration with LAb[au]), and Jon Egeskov (Pixel), all known for their electronic music works on renowned German minimal electronic music imprint Raster-Noton, and a new development in Belgian art studio LAb[au]’s Particle Synthesis project. The works bring diffraction and its effects into focus revealing new perspectives on what is an often-overlooked geometric reality. These sharp and focused installations frame the beauty of our world through this phenomenon in startling and moving ways. The natural effect of waves splintering, scattering is something that we normally take for granted, whether it’s ocean waves breaking around a rock, the closely-spaced tracks creating diffraction-grating rainbows on the back of a CD or a particular space causing sound to distort in unique ways.

The term ‘diffraction’ was coined in the 17th century by Francesco Maria Grimaldi, from the Latin diffringere, ‘to break into pieces’. Diffraction is however, much more than just degradation or destruction. It requires coherence. It creates patterns and it holds meaning. The spreading and distortion of waves as they pass through a gap or an object results in a change in the direction of the waves; If light passes through two thin, parallel slits, the slight bending of the light beam from each slit causes the different wavelengths of light to interfere with each other, producing patterns; when sound waves travel through open windows or doorways, they are diffracted so that the sound is heard round corners. Diffraction arises because of the way in which waves propagate and is described mathematically by the Huygens–Fresnel principle. This exhibition takes place in the newly renovated TAG space in The Hague, the city where mathematician, astronomer and physicist, Christian Huygens who first advanced the wave theory of light, was born. Huygens achieved note for his argument that light consists of waves, a principle which was fundamental in the understanding of wave-particle duality. This duality has in turn been essential for the development of specific technologies such as granular synthesis and indeed electronic music equipment and electronics in general.

works by LAb(au] in collaboration with Mika Vainio, David Letellier, Jon Egeskov (Pixxel) of raster-noton label
Made possible with the kind support of Stichting Mondriaan & Gemeente Den Haag OCW

Many thanks to MediaRuimte, TodaysArt Festival, Janet Leyton-Grant, all the artists, participants and people who have made the reopening and this exhibition at TAG possible.

LAb[au], particle synthesis
David Letellier + LAb[au], Tessel
Mika Vainio + LAb[au], 2 * 540 kHz

performance Tessel by David Letellier, 20:30
performance 2 * 540 kHz by Mika Vainio, 21:30
performance The drive by Jon Egeskov, 22:30

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