frei-raum.berlin is showing the exhibition series 8ight, which will feature sound art and audiovisual art installations, performances and artistic research. This series runs from April to November 2024, with eight sequential presentations, each characterised by the number of acoustic sources/speakers: from one in the first exhibition to eight in the last. The symbolic meaning of the number 8 for time, connection and renewal is reflected in this gradual increase. At the end of the 8 exhibitions, a printed art object, in a limited edition of 8, will be published on our label F with a summary of all the works.
#7 acoustic sources of 8ight – on view
// 51.428571428571429, RATIONAL SOUNDSCAPE WITH 7 CHANNEL SOUND
by mergrim / Takahisa Mitsumori (JP)
10.10. Thursday, 17:30-20h
11.10. Friday, 16:30-20h
12.10. Saturday,15-19h
LIVE PERFORMANCE
12.10.2024, Saturday, start 20h
// mergrim / Takahisa Mitsumori (JP)
// Marcos Meza (CL)
// 51.428571428571429, RATIONAL SOUNDSCAPE WITH 7 MULTI CHANNEL SOUND, by mergrim / Takahisa Mitsumori (JP)
We create a space in which time turns and sound reveals hidden truths. Japanese artist mergrim (Takahisa Mitsumori) invites you to experience ‘51.428571428571429’, the seventh instalment of the ‘8ight’ series. With seven speakers arranged in a circle, this sound installation explores the beauty of imperfection, inspired by the unusual result of dividing 360 by 7.
The number 360 is well known—it represents a full circle, the flow of time through the four seasons or the regular ticking of minutes and seconds. But when you divide this perfect number by 7, it collapses. The result, 51.428571428571429, is a repeating decimal that never quite resolves. For Mergrim, this ‘broken’ number opens up a new world of possibilities. New rhythms and patterns emerge from this imperfection.
In this installation, the sound is looped every 5.14 seconds, creating a mixture of stability and unpredictability. It’s like squeezing seven days into a single moment or four seasons into one second. Each of the seven speakers produces its own unique sound, following the strange rhythm of the number and mixing order with chaos.
Beyond sound, this work also seeks to visualise mathematical formulas through numbers and generated imagery. In the exhibition space, alongside the technical equipment, the mathematical formula itself will be presented as a "graphic notation." Generated moving images will further illustrate the formula, turning abstract concepts into visual experiences that extend the boundaries of what we hear and see.
You will not only be a listener, but can also interact with the work. By adding sounds from a modular synthesiser or acoustic noises, you help to create an evolving soundscape. The speakers respond to your input and create new sound combinations that change over time, always imperfect and always different.
On 12 October, mergrim will join forces with Chilean artist Marcos Mezza for a live performance that adds another layer to this exploration of sound, time, and mathematical form. Their performance will extend the themes of the installation and transform the space into a living, breathing sound and visual experience.
Ultimately, ‘51.428571428571429’ invites us to rethink time and rhythm. It shows how beauty can emerge from what seems broken and how even imperfection has its own harmony.
