Film & New Media
Barcode Orchestra
What does a bottle of shampoo or a Twix bar sound like?
Through August 31
Free
Hallway to Dome Theatre
What does a bottle of shampoo sound like? Can the song from a box of detergent get stuck in your head? Barcode Symphony uses the classification system of the consumer-driven world — the series of lines found on everyday products known as barcodes — to create music. Numbers of the barcodes are translated into notes on a staff, a process that imbues each product with musical potential. Using the scanners provided, scan any of the products on the wall to find out.
This new media installation allows people to create their own relationship with this commercially-confined system and reclaim a sense of control over the influx of packaging around them. What’s left is music that uses a cold, processed hallmark of commercialism to create a unique creative experience, one far removed from the initial intent of the barcode design.