Categories
Web

Browser-Based Gamified Audiovisual Artwork

Inter Active

Inter_active

Inter_active is a browser-based gamified installation by Juha van Ingen, inspired by the ancient game Moksha Patam (also known as Snakes and Ladders).

The piece features two parallel image paths—each a sequence of animated GIFs—that players navigate using keyboard inputs. Progression is linear, but interaction introduces variation.

A layered audio component accompanies the visuals, created by selected sound artists. The sound loops operate independently of the animations. Players can toggle individual audio tracks on or off, with a maximum of two playing simultaneously. The soundtrack also progresses in sequence, adding a temporal element to the audiovisual journey.

The goal is to view all animations and reach the end of the paths. Along the way, users generate their own unique combinations of imagery and sound, effectively becoming co-creators of the experience.

The piece is built using HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript (jQuery).

Categories
Sound

Sounds of Saturn’s Rings – A Sonification of Space

Rings of Saturn

The rings of Saturn resemble a spectrogram, which inspired this experimental sonification of space.

An authentic image of Saturn’s rings was used as a spectral source. A 1-pixel vertical slice of the image was extracted and separated into three color channels. The intensity values of each channel were mapped to the cutoff frequencies of resonant filters—effectively translating the visual data into sound.

Each color plane drives 256 simultaneous sound sources, spatially arranged across the stereo field to mirror their position in the image. Some variations use up to 1024 voices, creating rich, layered textures. Minor frequency offsets per color channel introduce a subtle chorus effect.

The result is an immersive soundscape—an audible interpretation of Saturn’s rings. Original lossless audio files are available on Freesound.

Categories
Web

PHP-Based Website Scraper and .ics vCalendar Generator

The National Audiovisual Archive of Finland (KAVA) has its own cinema but does not offer standard .ics vCalendar files for movie showtimes. However, their ticket store page is well-structured, making it suitable for web scraping.

I used this as an opportunity to practice scraping and created an ICS calendar file from the showtime data. The calendar is primarily for my personal use but is publicly available for download. Note: if KAVA changes their site layout, the scraper will break, so the calendar may stop updating until fixed.

Showtimes rarely change, so updating the calendar once a week is sufficient. The subscription URL is:

https://www.sanaracreations.fi/apps/kavacal/kavacal.php

Currently, KAVA has updated their website layout, rendering the scraper non-functional. The scraper code is open for anyone to inspect and improve.

Categories
Sound

Interactive Sound Wave Builder Using Live Video Input

Visual sound creator

The interactive sound wave builder was showcased at the Helsinki Hacklab booth during WÄRK:fest, a DIY/hacker/culture festival. The setup featured a small table, a webcam, and a Max/MSP/Jitter system. Visitors manipulated sound waves by arranging colorful objects on the table.

The table was scanned in two dimensions in real time, with the captured data driving oscillator pitches, amplitudes, and waveforms. This interaction generated both evolving soundscapes and dynamic visual patterns simultaneously.

Categories
Art

Sonification of a Graphical Piece – Sounds of Calligraphy

Image into Sound

The three pieces in the Sounds of Calligraphy playlist continue from the SARANA performance at the Viiva & Viiru calligraphy group exhibition opening in Helsinki. They are generated in real time by analyzing the images across three color channels, with some oscillator waveforms derived directly from the image properties. Each channel uses 128 oscillators and filters, spatially positioned in the stereo field to precisely follow the visual forms. This results in a true sonic journey across the images.

The sonification was created using Max/MSP/Jitter. Special thanks to the Viiva & Viiru group for embracing this abstract approach.