KRZYSZTOF WODICZKO – PERSONAL INSTRUMENT, 1969 (1-3/3)

„Personal Instrument” was presented for the first time in 1969 in the Galeria Współczesna (Contemporary Gallery) within the frames of the „Exhibition of the Young”.

The main structure was constructed at the prototype laboratory of the Polish Optical Factory, while electronic elements, such as electro-acoustic components and filters enclosed in double soundproof coatings, as well as transistor filters, were designed and mounted by Wojciech Makowski at the Experimental Studio of the Polish Radio, managed by Józef Patkowski.

In the times of creation of the „Personal Instrument” Wodniczko was working as a consultant of the Experimental Studio.

Microphone mounted on the front receives sounds from surroundings and transfers them to electro-acoustic filters located in two soundproof coatings of earphones. Filters are controlled by two photocells, fixed on each hand palm. Movement of the hands regulates the amount of light falling on photocells, thus regulating filtering intensity. When both hands are clenched in fists (and photocells are dark), the filtering device achieves its peak action, and no sounds are audible. Turning of hands directly to the light turns off the filters, and all surrounding sounds are audible). Photocells of the right hand control the high tone filter. Waving with hands causes the glissando sound effect.

The instrument allows for transforming the sounds of surroundings.
The instrument functions due to the movements of hands.
The instrument reacts on sunlight.
The instrument is portable.
The instrument can be used at any place.
The instrument is designed only for the author’s use.
The instrument allows the author for achieving virtuosity.

KW

[Krzysztof Wodiczko. On Behalf of the Public Domain. Łódź 2015]

The „Instrument”, which I have been working on in the end of 1960-s, was an intuitive reaction to the reality of those days. Remembering those years, it can be said that the whole Polish society should have been equipped with a device of this kind. At that time, everyone was listening or intercepting and had to interpret what he had heard. What has been said – as in those days nothing was spoken, but everything was said, like in the difference made by Emmanuele Lévinas between speaking (le dire) and saying (le dit). And since everything was said, it had to be interpreted and, at the same time, thought over about what has not been said, and what lied beneath. This was the time of reading between the lines and assumptions on „what hides in the grass”. There is a suggestion of it on one of the photos documenting my use of the personal instrument, when I put my hand with the photocell on the grass…

(…) The „Personal Instrument” was an appliance, it had expressly defined function, was designed for creative breaking through into the sound space. At the same time, the first „Vehicle”, though moving, was more of a metaphor of the situation of intellectuals who thought they were free, because they could walk and think. In an ironic and self-ironic way (as the user of this „vehicle”) I want to refer to the place of intellectuals in the system, in which everything was planned in advance and was meant to be going in the direction of progress, so this „Vehicle” was moving only forward, always in the same direction – of this absurd progress.

[Scandalous functionalism. Krzysztofem Wodiczko in an interview with Bożena Czubak. [in:] Krzysztof Wodiczko. On Behalf of the Public Domain. Łódź 2015]