Developed by Ricardo Nascimento and Jader Scalzaretto, “parangonet 1.0: sonic dimension” is a pair of interactive sonic capes that create and trigger sound loops in the environment. Each garment is able to trigger and modify a different sound input, creating a collaborative sonic atmosphere when performed together. The piece is inspired by “Parangolé” from the brazilian artist Hélio Oiticica and aims to recreate the artwork using technology as a new poetic layer.
Created from a patchwork of patterns from various countries, the first cape, titled “be legendary”, represents the mixture of different cultures. It is embedded with an accelerometer that detects movement and wirelessly communicates the data to a computer to trigger sound loops.
The second cape, “lebenserfahrung” (“life experience”) is made from synthetic materials and decorated with tiny mirrors. It aesthetically references a vision of the future from the 60s. One of the decorative jewels is a microphone that records the ambient sounds of the environment every 15 seconds, adding new sound loops to the production. Watch the video below to witness the interaction. (The latter half of the video contains a sample performance).