Howlingbirds - review by Sina Fani Sani

"Howlingbirds" made a resounding impact as a sound installation featured at the IRCAM Forum Workshops in 2024. Amidst the intricate interplays within the installation, it emerged as a standout highlight, ranking among my most cherished experiences of this year's workshop series.

Crafted by Jsuk Han, an artist renowned for his expertise in sculpture, installation, and sound performance, "Howlingbirds" employed feedback sound and flocking algorithms, ingeniously applied to multi-channel systems to evoke natural phenomena.

Feedback sound, a phenomenon generated when a sound system's output is captured and fed back into its input, forming a loop of sound, served as the foundation for replicating natural occurrences, such as the synchronized movement of a bird flock. By manipulating gain values and spatial orientations, resonance frequencies corresponding to the device were naturally induced. While a single channel setup generated a straightforward sine wave resonating with the medium's characteristics, the expansion to multiple channels facilitated a more intricate transformation of frequencies, culminating in the immersive recreation of Howlingbirds.

During his presentation, the artist disclosed his utilization of Ircam's SPAT program for the precise panning function in the multi-channel setup, alongside specifying the spatial positions of the speakers. Furthermore, he elucidated on the control of feedback sound through the application of the flocking algorithm (Boid), which imbues sound particles with group behavior, enabling dynamic adjustments based on their three-dimensional positioning.

In essence, while every aspect of the project aligned closely with my interests and dovetailed with my master project, it was the simplicity and aesthetic resonance of the final outcome that struck me the most profoundly.