Chladni Experiment

How can sound create visible patterns? Around 1800, physicist Ernst Florens Friedrich Chladni traveled through Europe, captivating audiences by making sound visible with his vibrating plates. We have taken this historical experiment and transformed it into an interactive instrument.

When a vibrating system is excited at its natural frequency, standing waves are produced. These waves remain stationary in space but oscillate over time, creating intricate patterns. At certain points on the plate—called nodal points—the surface remains still, and it’s at these points that the distinctive patterns of each plate emerge.

In this installation, a MIDI keyboard controls the vibrations of the plate, allowing participants to manipulate the tones and observe the resulting patterns in real-time. I developed the Cladni Instrument as part of the final exhibition for Labor Beethoven 2020 at the Academy of the Arts in Berlin, offering a hands-on experience that bridges physics, sound, and visual art.

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