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The Electrostatic Bell Choir is an electromechanical sound installation that plays with the static electricity emitted from discarded CRT television monitors. The work questions centuries of technological innovation by bridging history of obsolete technology. Static electricity affects everyday materials in curious ways – hair stands on end when rubbed with a balloon; laundered clothing clings together if an antistatic sheet is not tossed into the dryer; a static shock transmits from a finger after one drags their feet across the carpet…

Electrostatic bells were invented in 16th century and largely used to demonstrate how electrical energy can be converted into mechanical energy. It was popularly used at the time to predict oncoming thunderstorms by sensing static electricity in the air. The Electrostatic Bell Choir aims to focus the sensibility of this invention to a more personal scale where it demonstrates the intriguing effects of the invisible environment that constitute our domestic spaces. The artwork is at once mysterious yet can be tangibly deconstructed as the relationship between the static charges and the bells is observed as the TVs illuminate and catalyse the effect.

《靜電鐘合唱團》是一件機電聲音裝置，與廢棄的CRT電視顯示器發出的靜電一起播放，而作品通過連結過氣技術的歷史對幾個世紀的技術創新作出提問。靜電以好奇的方式影響日常的材料，比如說當氣球摩擦時頭髮就會站起來;、如果把防靜電片材末放進乾衣機衣物就會捲在一塊、又或是說靜態震動是可以從拖腳流過地毯傳到手指頭等...

靜電鐘發明於16世紀，並大量運用於展示如何將電能轉化為機械能，當時普遍使用的方法是通過感應空氣中的靜電來預測即將到來的雷暴。《靜電鐘合唱團》旨在將此發明的敏感性集中在更個人化的規模上，展現在家庭空間中的有趣隱形影響。作品具有神秘感，但亦可以有形地透過電視的光陰去解構靜電與鐘鈴之間的闗係，並催化當中的效果。

The Electrostatic Bell Choir, gleans static charges from the surface of television screens and uses it for its potential to generate subtle movement. This is used as the driving kinetic force in the artwork. Static bells consisting of ultra lightweight pith balls and bells from old clocks and rotary telephones are mounted in front of an assembly of twenty reclaimed Cathode Ray Tube television sets. A control circuit cycles the TVs on and off in alternating sequences which causes static to build up on the monitors. This static charge agitates the hanging pith balls, causing them to waver and lightly strike the bells ‐ resulting in quasi‐melodic compositions. The TVs are muted, tuned to various channels of white noise in order to devise a dynamically layered soundscape textured with the signature high-frequency hums, pops and buzzes of the cathode ray tubes warming up. Although compositions are programmed into the piece, it inevitably takes on a character of its own as the static fluctuates and dissipates in response to ethereal nuances (i.e.: changes in air quality such as humidity). The glow of the screens and the subtle resonance of the bells magically punctuate the dark surroundings of the installation.

《靜電鐘合唱團》從電視螢幕的表面收集靜電，並利用它的潛力產生微妙的運動，是為作品中的推動力。靜音鈴由來自舊式時鐘與撥輪電話的超輕髓球和鈴鐘組成，及後安裝於二十個回收的陰極射線管電視機前面。控制電路以交替的順序對電視機進行開/關處理，導致監視器上產生靜電。這種靜電荷攪拌懸掛的髓球，使其搖擺並輕敲鐘鈴 繼而組成旋律。電視調製靜音，調整到各種白噪聲，以設計動態分層的聲音紋理與陰極射線管加熱製成高頻嗡嗡聲，奏出點擊聲。雖然組合物被編程至作品中，但它不可避免地具有自己的特徵，而靜態波動響應空靈的細微差別（即，如濕度等空氣質量的變化）而消散，螢幕的光澤和鐘聲的微妙共鳴魔法般地穿越於黑暗的環境當中。

Darsha Hewitt is a Canadian artist working in new media and sound. She is known for her examinations of communication technology in the domestic sphere and her use of DIY aesthetics and practices as an artistic method. She makes electromechanical sound installations, drawings, audio-visual works, how-to videos and experimental performances with handmade electronics. Through deconstruction and experimentation with failed and obsolete technology, her work demystifies hidden systems within machines as a way to trace-out structures of economy, power and control embedded throughout capitalist culture.

Darsha is a fellow at the Berlin Centre for Advanced Studies in Arts and Sciences at the Art University of Berlin and a Guest Professor in New Media and Sound at Karlsruhe University of Art and Design. From 2015-16 she was a guest professor at the Art University of Kassel. She is also a Lecturer in the Media Arts Environments Research Chair at the Bauhaus University Weimar. Recent presentations of her work include: Future Flux Festival (NL), Transmediale (DE), Asia Culture Center Gwangju (SK), Elektra Festival (CA), Resonate (RS), Spectrum (DE), Goethe Institute (CA), Halle14 (DE), Modern Art Oxford (UK), WRO Media Art Biennale (PL), FACT Liverpool (UK) and CTM Festival (DE).

希達莎，加拿大藝術家，從事新媒體及聲音創作。她以通訊技術測試和DIY美學及實踐藝術手法而聞名。她透過手作電子器材以創作機電音響裝置、畫作、視聽作品、操作視頻及實驗表演。通過對失敗和過時的技術進行解構和實驗，她的作品揭示了機器中的隱藏系統，從而揭示了資本主義文化中嵌入的經濟、權力和控制的結構。

她是柏林藝術大學柏林藝術與科學高級研究中心的研究員，也是卡爾斯魯厄藝術與設計大學新媒體與聲音顧問教授。從2015-16年，她一直擔任卡塞爾藝術大學客座教授，並同時兼任包豪斯大學魏瑪媒體藝術環境研究組織的講師。 近期參展的包括：Future Flux Festival (荷蘭), Transmediale (德國), Asia Culture Center Gwangju (南韓), Elektra Festival (加拿大), Resonate (塞爾維亞), Spectrum (德國), Goethe Institute (加拿大), Halle14 (德國), Modern Art Oxford (英國), WRO Media Art Biennale (波蘭), FACT Liverpool (英國) 和 CTM Festival (德國).

Production of this work was made possible with the generous support of Edith-Russ-Haus für Medienkunst in Oldenburg Germany, Le Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec and Hexagram Concordia.

Presentation of this work and the artist at this Festival was made possible with the generous support of Consulate General of Canada in Hong Kong and Macao.

該作品及項目由德國的奧登堡（Eden-Russ-HausfürMedienkunst）、Le Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec 和Hexagram Concordia的大力支持下製作。

該作品及藝術家於本藝術節現身，有賴加拿大駐香港及澳門總領事館的大力支持。