Visual Music Studies

In the organizer's words:

Visual Music Studies
Exhibition of Visual Music theses by students of the Institute for Music and Media at the Robert Schumann Hochschule Düsseldorf

Roger Fry first used the term Visual Music in 1912 in a text about the work of the painter, graphic artist and theorist Wassily Kandinsky. Kandinsky was a synaesthete, i.e. he saw colors and shapes simultaneously - in his mind's eye - while listening. Since 2009, the Institute for Music and Media (IMM) at the Robert Schumann University has been offering Visual Music as a major field of study. At the renowned Düsseldorf music academy, students learn to visualize their own compositions from concept to realization. All genres are open to them - from analog experimental film to generative, expansive media installations.

The works presented by Nora Bögel, Noah Foster & Dmitrii Shchukin, Max Kasch, Moritz Lörcks, Noah Ronneberger and Darwin Wagner were created in 2024/25 under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Heike Sperling, Marcus Schmickler, Prof. Ulla Barthold, Leon Monschauer and Jan Höhe.

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In the process of Nora Bögel - live performance, length: approx. 5 minutes
Im Prozess von Nora Bögel shows an excerpt from her 30-minute EP release concert planned for summer 2025. Her project moves in the field of tension between self-perception and external perception, longing and calm, social pressure and freedom. On the sound level, soft vocals are combined with hard instrumentals. The visual level translates the musical elements very closely, expands them and makes use of mirrors, spotlights and pixel bars. In this way, Nora Bögel creates a performance world in which not only the work but also the journey to oneself remains a process.

if -> then by Noah Foster & Dmitrii Shchukin - live performance, length: approx. 10 minutes
if -> then is a basic framework of all programming languages: If a condition is true, an instruction follows. The live performance by Noah Foster & Dmitrii Shchukin artistically stages this concept and pairs abstract sounds with glitch visuals to create a diverse and unpredictable game of mutual inspiration.

Chromatography by Max Kasch - performance, length: approx. 15 minutes
Inspired by an equation of the colors of the light spectrum and the tones of a musical scale in Isaac Newton's Opticks, Louis Bertrand Castel tried his hand at the mechanical construction of his Clavecin pour le yeux (eye piano). Based on these early attempts to visualize music, Max Kasch sets out in his performance in search of analogies between music and visual art. Colors and tones, synthetically generated sounds and geometric forms combine to create an audiovisual synthesis of the arts. The musical performance moves from abstract sounds to a combination of guitar improvisation, synthesizer pads and drum computers, reminiscent of the music of Neu!, Harmonia or Tangerine Dream, leading to a frenzy of colors and shapes.

IdioMorph by Moritz Lörcks - performance, length: approx. 8 minutes
The drumset performance IdioMorph by Moritz Lörcks leads through a series of soundscapes ranging from various facets of dance music to experimental improvisations. Four-on-the-floor beats transition into free and decelerating intermezzi in which the broad potential of sound production on the drum set is explored. The performance is accompanied by sound design and synthesizer sounds that represent a dynamic fusion of club feeling and science fiction film music. Parallel to the audio level, a music video takes the audience on a journey through abstract worlds full of geometric bodies visualizing the music.

Consciousness Collision by Noah Ronneberger - live performance, length: approx. 15 minutes
The project Consciousness Collision by Noah Ronneberger combines the effect of light and sound in an audiovisual live performance. Over time, pressure and stress often lead to a feeling of distance from oneself and reduced self-awareness on an emotional level. The performance aims to create the opportunity to listen to yourself for a moment and become aware of your emotional state. Noah Ronneberger uses live instrumentation that controls DMX signals via audio levels to create a spatial, visual and acoustic experience.

Traces of Dub by Darwin Wagner - live performance, length: approx. 10 minutes
The project Traces of Dub by Darwin Wagner is a performative exploration of the origins and present of dub music. Inspired by its characteristic rhythmic and sonic manipulation, Darwin Wagner combines visual elements to create an immersive experience. The performance explores how dub as a musical genre transforms the perception of space and time and creates a dynamic, audiovisual landscape.