The IK Prize is awarded annually for an idea that uses innovative technology to enable the public to discover, explore and enjoy British art from the Tate collection in new ways. This year’s winner was Tate Sensorium, an exploration into how the senses can be stimulated in a gallery space, developed by creative studio Flying Object. It was an immersive display featuring four paintings. Visitors to the installation experienced sounds, smells, tastes and physical forms inspired by the artworks and could record and review their physiological responses through sophisticated measurement devices. Developed over nine months, Flying Object’s creation defied the conventional view of a gallery space by importing a spectrum of sensory elements. Where food is usually prohibited, there was chocolate and where being quiet would be the status quo there was audio.
Flying Object’s cross-disciplinary team ranged from university academics through a purveyor of olfactory adventures to multi-award winning composer and sound designer Nick Ryan, who contributed the audio elements to the project. Headphones were an integral part of this technology- supported, multi-sensory experience and Nick’s professional expertise led him to recommend beyerdynamic’s DT 770 PRO for use in the installation. These very comfortable and responsive closed dynamic headphones are designed for critical music and sound monitoring and set an industry standard for excellence. Flying Object approached beyerdynamic distributor POLARaudio, who generously agreed to loan 12 pairs of the DT 770 PRO headphones for the duration of the installation.
Peter Law, Producer at Flying Object offered an enthusiastic view: “Working with such great kit really enhanced things and everybody – us, Nick our sound designer, their AV team and over 4000 visitors were very, very impressed! The use of the DT 770 PRO headphones really helped raise the quality of audio in the display and contribute to its amazing success.”
