Sonic Memories in San Jose

Sonic Memories in San Jose By Yoon Chung Han

• Exhibition Opening: Friday, February 2, 2024 4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
• Closing Reception: Friday, March 1, 2024 4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
• Exhibition Period: February 2, 2024 – March 1, 2024
• The gallery will be open on Friday 4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. and Saturday 2:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
• Location: 1Culture gallery (144 E. Santa Clara st, San Jose, CA)

Sound is everywhere and is a critical component of memorable experiences. The project Sonic Memories in San José explores hidden narratives discovered through the perspectives of San José residents. This unique project visualizes collected sound in the form of 3D prints, offering a distinctive view of the city’s history, time, experiences, memories, and spaces.

Cities evolve under the influence of human activities; the buildings, landscapes, roads, streets, people, and objects are constantly changed, and they determine the process of the journey. The City of San José has changed over time, and there remain many interesting stories that we can present through the residents’ voices.

This exhibition showcases the outcomes of two public art workshops conducted at the San José Museum of Art in August 2023. The first workshop took place as part of the Community Fest on August 13, 2023, and the second took place at the City Dance event on August 17, 2023.

During the workshops, the participants were asked these questions:

– Where is your favorite place to go in San José?
– Where is your most meaningful spot in San José?
– What color would you choose to depict your favorite or most meaningful spot and story in San Jose?

Their recorded voices were recreated as 3D visualizations, and the participants customized these designs by tweaking colors and shapes. They talked about unique memories in San José, such as family time, coffee with friends, childhood memories, and even good restaurants. Each 3D design highlighted a unique story, and the collection of sounds became an interactive audio cityscape that included the past, present, and possible future of San José from the residents’ perspectives.

The exhibition now features a total of forty 3D-printed sculptures in a range of colors that were chosen by the workshop participants. The overall 3D form is a cylinder-like tree ring, which is unique enough, but the sculptures themselves represent the diverse voices of forty San José residents and their unique memories of the city. In addition to the physical sculptures, the audience can refer to an interactive website about the display and listen to the sounds while looking at the sculptures. The website is a collection of stories told by San José residents, and visitors can click the red dots on the website to hear the recorded sounds and see the 3D-converted forms.

This exhibition aims to showcase a community-based art project that explores audio-recorded memories of San Jose using interactive audiovisual map-based art and 3D-printing technology.

This exhibition serves as the culmination of the 2023 San José Creative Ambassador project, generously supported by the City of San José Office of Economic Development and Cultural Affairs and the David and Lucille Packard Foundation. Additional support for this program was provided by the College of Humanities and the Arts’ Artistic Excellence Programming Grant. The workshops and this exhibition are made possible with thanks to generous support from the San José Museum of Art and the San José State University student assistants.

Please join us in this community-based art project that celebrates and preserves audio memories of San José, using innovative interactive audiovisual map-based art and 3D-printing technology.