Sync Symphony
Easily the most memorable exhibit of the museum […] Elad Shniderman and Prof. Moti Fridman were able to craft a truly captivating experience using the power of music to provide insight into chaos theory.
—Jordan Pike, Jerusalem Post
Even without understanding the mathematical formulas, the result is mesmerizing. Beyond the music, the facial expressions, the minor differences in movements, posture, pulling the bow, focusing the eyes […] it’s spectacular.
—Gilad Meltzer, Haaretz
[…] The result is transitions between cacophony and melody, between chaos and synchronization. The repetitiveness that ranges from harmony to disharmony results in a resounding buzz that sometimes sounds like a work by Jon Hopkins rather than a result of randomness, and the experience is mesmerizing.
—Noa Liberman Plashkes, Haaretz
Art and Science project
The phenomenon of synchronization emerges as an intricate yet concealed aspect of human nature, subtly fostering coordination among individuals and suggesting an inherent, universal connection that permeates us all. This phenomenon extends beyond the human realm, entwining itself in the synchronization processes that unfold throughout the universe.
The complexity of the human psyche unveils synchronization in human communication as a distinctive trait, showcasing the adaptability and flexibility foundational to human society. This uniqueness implies an inseparable link between the individual and the collective, suggesting that humans are intricate expressions of a singular whole. Sync Symphony is a concept project that intertwines live art with genuine scientific experimentation, captivating audiences through the exploration of synchronization. Presented in various forms such as durational performances, installations, and lectures, the project employs performative audio-visual elements to highlight the profound interconnectedness between people.
Musicians webbed by a computerized sound system grapple with injected delays, challenging their communication. In the absence of a conductor or any other point of reference, the performance relies on the nexus of a synchronization system reminiscent of the flight of a starling flock, where singular birds move respectively only with their close peers yet synchronize with the whole.
The audience witnesses the overarching temporal choreographies, as they manifest in the individual bodily expressions of the performers and the overall designed audio-visual environment.
The Technion is currently developing the Arts and Humanities Department that will spark and inspire creativity among scientists and engineers. This project will be exposed to the entire campus community, opening the door to future collaborations between artists and faculty and serving as a relevant educational goal for our future engineering students.
Sync Symphony is an art and science experience, shifting the fundamental phenomena of synchronization from its habitual place in the background to the foreground. It reframes human beings as an interconnected and synchronized fabric, prompting contemplation on the emergence of relationships between individuals, communities and cultures.
Academic publication:
Nature Communications Journal 2024
EXHIBITIONS & PERFORMANCE ART AND SCIENCE EVENTS
// 2024 //
Location: Technion – Israel Institute of Technology
Format: 2-day durational performance, installation, and real-time scientific experiment
Sync Configurations: Decision Making // Rings // Leaders // Asymmetric Delay // 2-Dimension, 1-Direction
// 2021 //
Location: Joseph Fetter Museum, Institute of Nanotechnology & Advanced Materials
Format: Sound and video installation
Sync Configurations: Cube // Duo // Hex // Trio
// 2020 //
Location: Transmeet 2020 International Art & Science Festival, The Steinhardt Museum of Natural History
Format: Durational performance and real-time scientific experiment
Sync Configuration: Closed Loop, 1-Direction Rings
// 2018 //
Location: Music Department, Bar-Ilan University
Format: Durational performance and real-time scientific experiment
Sync Configurations: Cube // Duo // Hex // Trio
Video: Project Documentary
