TOUCHING THE MUSIC BASCHET LABORATORY OF SOUND SCULPTURE Txt: Barbara Sansone /

They are strange, colorful, made of cardboard, tinfoil and glass sheets, this strings of metal. They are beautiful to behold. Above all, they make you feel like you want to touch them. The ambiguity of the verb "tocar" a term that in Spanish means also to play (a musical instrument) appears to have originated from them. It is sufficient to touch them with your fingers slightly wet. They will emit magnificent sounds, sounds that you could produce using a traditional instruments only after years of hard practice.

These objects go by the name of Cristal Baschet and other works produced by the brothers François & Bernard Baschet, to whom Museu de la Música de Barcelona is dedicating a solo exhibition, which will last until December 19, 2011. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baschet_Brothers)

Baschet's research starts in the 1950's artistic turmoil, soon turning the two brothers into the pioneers of sound sculpture, in addition to making them highly requested by musicians, composers, experimental directors like Jean Cocteau and by avand-guard museums such as MoMA, directed in those years by Alfred Barr. The idea originated from an inflatable guitar built by Francois in order to transport it around during his frequent trips. The fact that the guitar sounded surprisingly well, brought him to question the principles of functioning of all musical instruments and to involve his brother Bernard to develop further the technology of high impedance acustic instruments.

The project of the Laboratory originated from Josep Cerdà, an extremely active sculptor and academic, who had a very clear vision of what should be the goal of an artschool, and continuously tries to generate projects and other opportunities for his students. He opened a foundry and a stone carving atelier, creating an active environment rarely existing within a University. Cerdà was always interested in sound and the sounding structures. As a sculptor, he is concerned with the relation between the artwork and the surrounding environment, collaborating with his wife, an architect and landscape painter.