ART BEATS 2024

The ART BEATS initiative returns in its 2024 edition with a new sound design project dedicated to four civic museums in the city of Bologna. Thanks to the collaboration with the Istituzione Musei del Comune di Bologna and the Giovan Battista Martini Conservatory, ART BEATS 2024 has created and promoted sound design installations and live musical performances, as well as events aimed at introducing young people and schools to the world of music.
On the weekends of November 9-10 and 16-17, the Davia Bargellini Museum, Palazzo Poggi, Collezioni Comunali, and the Archaeological Museum opened their doors free of charge to the public, offering sensory and multidisciplinary experiences through the listening of original compositions integrated into the museum spaces, directly inspired by them.
Through a selection of featured artists curated by Professor Francesco Giomi, who directed the artistic program of the event, four students from the Conservatory's electronic music course produced and performed four emblematic tracks that interpret emotions, narratives, and impressions directly inspired by the cultural and intellectual spaces of the city.
dBTechnologies installation solutions were used for the sound design of the four museums, following thorough and precise analyses of the architecture, artistic significance, and concept of each original composition. All audio setups were realized by RadioSata, a company highly specialized in the sound design of events dedicated to art and culture.
For all the live sessions performed by the artists involved in the initiative, the following equipment was used: 2 VIO X205 speakers with 1 VIO S115 subwoofer.
At the Davia Bargellini Museum: 5 IS6T speakers were placed on either side of the room, including one system unit positioned at the center of the room, with 2 IA504 D units.
For the two spaces at Palazzo Poggi, in the wing dedicated to human and obstetrics sciences, an immersive 360° installation was created in an 8.1 configuration with 8 IS6 speakers + 1 IS12S subwoofer and 3 IA504D units. The second space was equipped with 1 IS8S subwoofer, 2 IS6T speakers, and 1 IA504 D unit in a stereo 2.1 configuration placed on the floor.
The sounded area of the Collezioni Comunali in Piazza Maggiore was integrated with 2 IA504 D units and 8 IS6T speakers placed in a line on stands at the center of the hallway, arranged in progressive intervals with opposite orientations.
For the Archaeological Museum, in the section dedicated to the Etruscan civilization, a configuration of 2 ES 1203 speakers was set up with 180° orientation to create the emblem of a totem.
The 2024 project reaffirmed the ability to create synergy between the visible and the audible, merging art and technology.