Gentle Monsters: A Sonic Journey into Personal Art

Exploring the Intersection of Art and Sound Design

Every monster has a beginning, present, and an end state. Taking this as a cue, each piece is designed with musical elements to represent ‘that’ particular state, to take the listener on a linear journey, while doing justice to each Monster’s essence. The difficulty was to make the artist's personal, subjective emotions tangible. After rounds of conversations with Nisshtha, Angad Berar, the sound designer, decided to use certain sonic elements to exaggerate the emotions.

“Gentle Monsters” stands out from other art projects due to its unique approach of combining visual art with sound design. The sounds were meticulously designed using a combination of analog and digital instruments such as the Ibanez Artcore Guitar, M-Audio Keyboard, ukulele, and samples of field recordings and foley. The result is a captivating audio experience that enhances the essence of each monster.

The technical specifications of the design include a sample rate of 44.1Khz, 16 bits per sample, and a stereo audio channel. These specifications ensure high-quality sound reproduction and an immersive listening experience for the viewers.

The exhibition is designed to immerse the viewer into a visual and aural experience, enabling them to relate to the artist's own journey of discovering, uncovering, and making her monsters gentle. Each artwork is accompanied by a poem (Quintain) and a unique sound that aims to enhance the essence of the monsters for the viewers. By scanning the QR code, viewers can access the Gentle Monsters Playlist and play the sound corresponding to the monster they are viewing.

The design project took place over a duration of three months in Bangalore, India. The research phase involved in-depth conversations between Nisshtha Khattar and Angad Berar to understand the artist's thoughts and emotions behind each monster. The challenge was to transform these subjective emotions into something tangible that the audience could understand and relate to. The research also involved studying films and other pop media to understand how certain emotions are effectively communicated to an audience.

“Gentle Monsters” has received recognition for its innovative approach to combining art and sound design. It was awarded the Iron A' Design Award in the Music, Audio, and Sound Design category in 2021. This award recognizes the well-designed, practical, and innovative nature of the project, meeting professional and industrial requirements. The integration of industry best practices and competent technical characteristics contributes to a better world and provides fulfillment and positive feelings for the viewers.

“Gentle Monsters” is a testament to the power of art and sound design to create a truly immersive and emotional experience. By combining visual art with carefully crafted sounds, Nisshtha Khattar and Angad Berar have created a unique project that invites viewers to explore their own emotions and connect with the artist's personal journey.