Research Catalogue

2024-2025 Manuel Rodriguez

Exploring the affordances of Larping in virtual reality.

Backdrop project/PORTFOLIO

Can an acoustic grand piano be sonically and conceptually reimagined so as to re-negotiate its foundational assumptions around tuning and timbre? Why should the piano continue to be so accustomed to only one tuning system? In contrast, how can “pure sounds” (ratios found in the harmonic series) co-exist with ethnically diverse microtonal tunings? Spanning a period from 2020-2022, “Unburying, from Liminals, Emerging” explores a microtonal prepared piano in three artistic contexts. These include: a solo project called “Postcards of Nostalgia; a chamber ensemble consisting of saxophone trio, percussion and piano; and a “percussion ensemble with soprano saxophone called Juniper Fuse. Dialoging with a newly invented tuning system, what emergent properties might we find when magnetic piano preparations are used to evoke specific timbral effects from Balinese Gamelan and Indian Karnatik music? Collectively, how can this expanded notion of “piano” merge with spatialization to facilitate interactive experiences for audiences? How might a process-oriented Jungian-inspired dream work communicate itself so as to distill and coalesce a fertile musical landscape?

This artistic research project reflects a deeply personal exploration of the ritualistic and symbolic aspects of music, from the perspective of my own practice a soloist. It touches on the idea that the act of creating sound is not merely a technical or performative endeavor, but a sacred, energetic exchange. The fingertips, as the primary point of contact between the musician and their instrument, are seen as a portal—an interface between the inner world of the musician and the outer world of sound, music, and the present moment.

O presente ensaio visa fomentar uma discussão acerca da intersecção entre a arte, a espiritualidade e a imigração, temas que se revelam notórios nas expressões culturais contemporâneas sociais e pessoais. Mais concretamente, analisa-se a forma como a artista navega na sua identidade e experiência, abordando questões sociais e reflexões pessoais sobre a experiência do imigrante. Os elementos contidos nesta obra incluem peças de alumínio gravadas com sigilos de amor e mãos de cerâmica com olhos nas palmas. Os olhos remetem para a Mão de Fátima, um símbolo de proteção, mas as mãos também evocam as chagas em pessoas de cor, sugerindo um vínculo com experiências históricas de dor e sofrimento. Ao evidenciar as cicatrizes de pessoas que realmente viveram essas feridas, esta obra incorpora uma dimensão de memória e resistência. Este ensaio é um registo de histórias e memórias pessoais na produção artística, inserido na investigação do doutoramento em Artes Plásticas da Universidade do Porto. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The present essay seeks to stimulate a discourse on the confluence of art, spirituality and immigration, themes that have become increasingly prevalent in contemporary cultural expressions, both social and personal. Specifically, it will analyse how the artist navigates her identity and experience, addressing social issues and personal reflections on the immigrant experience. The elements of the installation include aluminium pieces engraved with love sigils and ceramic hands with eyes in their palms. The eyes refer to the hand of Fatima, a symbol of protection, but the hands also evoke the wounds on the hands of people of colour, suggesting a link with historical experiences of pain and suffering. By highlighting the scars of people who have actually experienced these wounds, this work incorporates a dimension of memory and resistance. This essay is a register of personal stories and memories in artistic production, as part of the research for a PhD in Plastic Arts at the University of Porto.