Biennale College Musica - Chonglian Yu

I see the cloud in the water explores how the shaped, augmented presence of the voice and relative space relates to the presentation of the self in the context of social communication.
The installation consists of eight personae made of actual voice recordings and synthesized voices in selected languages. Each persona is implemented to an individual, cube-shaped, human figure sculpture built with 3D printing, electronics and wood. Along with the sculptures, an ambiance is reconstructed with the materials from field recordings of various places in the city of Venice.
In the musical sense, the piece constantly flows between different states: from stochastic processes to composed structures inspired by the Venetian school of choral writing; from unedited voice to stretched, filtered, granulated fragments; from solo, duo to tutti. Those flows reassemble the characteristics of Venice city, like water, ever-changing. Overall, the piece stages an imaginary, altered social space and invites us to feel and start our connections with the beings surrounding us: we may live on a grand stage as a performer in life. However, the connection we create is more magical than just the outcome of the performance.