ARABESQUE No.1

'Arabesque No.1' is a sculptural work based on Debussy's eponymous piano piece, created from the perspective of jewellery design. Aiming at a new exploration of the physical visualisation of music, the work involves the specific design of shapes and spaces through the transformation of the music score. The design includes the creation of digital models and the dynamic transformation of design elements - including data, music, physical materials, and space.

The design creates a special 'sonar’ shape-mapping system by curling the music stave. The mapping system relocates each musical note thus creating a spatial pattern with complex interior and exterior spatial graphics. The shapes formed by the main melodic notes create the internal space of the sculpture, while the forms shaped by the discrete notes create the external space of the sculpture.

The physical sculptures are made with laser-cut transparent acrylic, allowing the audience to better observe the intricate internal spatial forms that reveal the music's melody. The physical sculptures are presented in two different forms:

A group of 107 single sheets that are formed by relocating notes through the mapping system. These are presented in a sequential format which shows the complex and subtle melodic variations in each measure.

A tunnel-shaped spatial sculpture was formed by layering the 107 single sheets. This provides the audience with a holistic perception of the internal and external spaces created by the melodic flow of and the integrity of the music.

This work aims to present a unique understanding of music through a distinctive mapping system. Working directly from score to graphic and then to sculpture, isolating the artist's emotional response to the music. Which presents a new interpretation of 'music' as a form of data.