What if you could hear colors and see music?
Introducing "The Project: Transforming Colors into Music - How I Turn Visual Art into Music" an experiment that transcends the boundaries of visual art and music. In this video, I analyze the colors of my photographs and video works, then link them to Messiaen's scales and Debussy's interpretations of musical color to transform them in a new way.
What kind of experiment did I conduct?
Matched colors and scales using AI (Python + ChatGPT)
Transformed colors into music based on Messiaen's synaesthetic musical interpretation
Created a musical work that was exhibited at 109 Gallery & Lounge for 1 hour and 6 minutes
A new artistic attempt to break down the sensory boundaries between hearing and sight
This project is not simply about background music; it's an experiment that directly explores the concept of "color as music." I plan to expand this work in the future and attempt more diverse forms of connection and immersion.
What if we could hear the colors in paintings or photographs? Or conversely, what if music could be made visible?
Today, I want to share how I transformed my photography and video works into music for my solo exhibition in January 2025. It's now mid-February, and looking back, it feels like quite a while ago. I'll be discussing the intersection of visual art, music, and how these forms can be "converted" into one another. However, this might be quite different from what you initially imagine. Many of you likely enjoy both music and visual arts, and exploring new ways to experience the world. If so, you might find this interesting.
I'm BHANG Young-moon(bhang@musewshop.com),
a photographer who also aspires to be a musician.
I've also been inspired by studies on unique neural connectivity, which has led me to consider the role of interconnectivity in art, interconnectivity, connectivity itself becomes art.
There's a French contemporary composer named Olivier Messiaen, and some of you may be familiar with his work. He experienced color synesthesia, a neurological phenomenon. One documentary left a strong impression on me. It showed Messiaen teaching his students while discussing Debussy’s opera. He would describe specific sections as "this part is orange," "this part is blue," or "this part is green," comparing them to light pouring through stained glass windows. His descriptions were incredibly detailed, and I found this deeply intriguing.
As a photographer, I wondered: what if I reversed this process? Instead of interpreting music through colors, I wanted to translate the colors in my artwork into sound.
I gathered resources and began researching. With the rise of AI-powered analysis, I often use ChatGPT, so I decided to input my data there. Surprisingly, ChatGPT generated a Python script based on my data. When I ran the code, it produced a chart mapping musical scales to specific colors.
Then, I began aligning these findings with Messiaen’s musical modes, considering the color palettes I used in my work.
This matching process took a considerable amount of time. A key reference for this project was the work of Norwegian musician Håkon Austbø, who performed pieces based on Messiaen’s coloristic approach. Comparing his work with my own research, I began developing my project.
This was a pilot experiment, using Messiaen’s organ and piano compositions, as well as Debussy’s works. For example, the whole-tone scale, frequently used by both Debussy and Messiaen, can be analyzed using Messiaen’s modes.
I selected sections from Debussy’s compositions and created variations. I focused on Messiaen’s Mode 1 and Mode 3, primarily using their first and second transpositions. This approach naturally linked the colors in my artwork to musical structures.
Through this process, I created a musical variation. During my solo exhibition at ‘1019 Gallery & Lounge’ in Songdo, Incheon, this past January, I presented a 1-hour and 6-minute musical composition. This music played continuously in the exhibition space, allowing visitors to experience my artwork not only visually but also through sound—a multi-sensory interaction.
Connectivity is the medium through which art is realized
Interpreting visual art through music, or vice versa, isn't a completely new idea. Many exhibitions use soundscapes or commission original background music. However, I wanted to go deeper—perhaps too deep, but I was determined to fully explore this.
My goal was to create a systematic and consistent method of interpreting color through sound, ensuring coherent and reproducible translations. This would allow me to continue this type of work indefinitely. Rather than simply expressing color through music, I wanted to explore the idea that "color is music."
A core question behind this project is: How can one artistic language be translated into another? How can different art forms be interpreted and expressed across mediums?
At the heart of this research is the pursuit of a universal and consistent method for "reading" colors in music.
Art isn't limited to the experience of seeing. Music isn't limited to the experience of hearing. I began to think that music and visual art are simply two different ways of experiencing the world—one through vision, the other through sound.
By systematically and structurally establishing connections between music and color, we may uncover new forms of artistic expression and expand creative boundaries.
This is just the beginning. I believe further research into multi-sensory connections and hybrid artistic languages could lead to exciting new possibilities. I've also been inspired by studies on unique neural connectivity, which has led me to consider the role of interconnectivity in art, connectivity itself becomes art. As technology advances and artistic methodologies evolve... Thank you.
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