A possible inspiration for understanding the principles of general systems and their ability to self-evolve as a unity – Daniel Vlček as idea and reality.

by Anders Flodin

Part 1

Interdisciplinary art is an art form where several different artistic disciplines (such as visual arts, music, dance, theater, digital media, etc.) are combined and integrated to create a new, cross-border expression, often to explore complex themes beyond a single art form, which creates unique experiences and new creative possibilities. My starting point in this text is the art of the artist and musician Daniel Vlček, whose artistry is often woven together by image, music and film into a single entity. Questions that interest me are how the artist handles the different artistic means of expression, individually or ideas and thoughts about the unified and how to make an analysis of unity – not the parts. This text will be followed up with an interview at a later date.

Daniel Vlček is a painter and musician whose practice blends sound with visual form, examining how the digital era reshapes our perception of both. Building on the legacy of Czech geometric abstraction from the 1960s and ’70s, Vlček approaches painting as a translation of musical principles, expressed through intricate geometries, circular forms, and hypnotic patterns that echo optical moiré effects. These visual rhythms function like analogs to binaural beats, drawing viewers into a subtle trance in which vision becomes a pathway for cognitive stimulation.

A core focus of Vlček’s work lies in revealing the hidden links between industry and nature, and between technology and biology. In recent years, he has turned toward natural ecosystems – especially mycelial networks and microorganisms exploring their deep ecological and planetary relevance. His interest in the aesthetics of scientific and technical illustration informs artworks that question traditional boundaries between artistic and scientific representation.

Vlček’s works extend beyond conventional painting, emerging as technospiritual objects aligned with contemporary ecological thinking. Frequently paired with sound installations and original audio pieces derived from field recordings, they create immersive environments where image and sound interweave. Through this fusion, Vlček offers a transformative reflection on the interdependence of humanity, nature, and technology, inviting viewers to engage with the unseen forces that shape our world.

Listening as art

It is often presumed that “listening” constitutes a universal and uniform act in which auditory stimuli are received and subsequently translated into meaning. This assumption, however, fails to account for the substantial variability in human auditory perception. The concept of aural diversity underscores the fact that individuals hear, interpret, and respond to sonic environments in markedly different and often highly individualized ways.

For some, ambient noise functions merely as a minor disturbance; for others, the subtle drone of an air-conditioning system may impose a significant cognitive or emotional burden. Many individuals rely on hearing aids, cochlear implants, or captioning technologies, while others process auditory information at a slower pace, requiring extended temporal intervals before producing a response. Aural diversity thus challenges the persistent notion that communication operates according to a standardized sensory norm.

Equally important is the recognition that sound is not only cognitively processed but also affectively experienced. An email sound notification on a smart watch that sounds intermittently during a meeting may be below the perceptual threshold for one person, but still appear as a persistent annoyance or even a source of affective tension for another. Similarly, music in shared environments can stimulate creativity and motivation for some while inducing sensory overload or emotional discomfort in others. These differential responses speak to the measurable effects of sound on attention, productivity, and psychosocial wellbeing.

Visuals as art

A parallel form of perceptual diversity can be observed within the domain of visual art. Painting—through its deployment of color, form, rhythm, saturation, and spatial complexity—operates as a visual analogue to sound. While a particular chromatic or compositional structure may be experienced as harmonious, meditative, or cognitively engaging by one viewer, the same visual configuration may elicit overstimulation, disorientation, or emotional strain in another. In this sense, visual perception, like auditory perception, resists uniformity and must be understood as situated, embodied, and heterogeneous.

Attending to these variations is not a matter of offering special accommodations but rather of acknowledging the differentiated sensory landscapes through which individuals navigate the world. Designing both auditory and visual environments that account for such perceptual multiplicity can significantly enhance interpersonal communication, support cognitive performance, and foster more inclusive forms of social and spatial interaction. It is therefore promising that contemporary research, as well as emerging practices within architecture, design, and manufacturing, increasingly recognize and integrate these dimensions into their theoretical frameworks and material outputs.

Blending sound and visuals as one

Michel Chion analyzes music in cinema through his concept of “audio-vision,” which posits that sound and image are perceived as a single, interwoven experience rather than separate channels. His work emphasizes how music creates an “added value” to the image, influencing perception, emotion, and narrative by enriching and transforming the meaning of the visual. He provides analytical tools, like “reduced listening,” to examine how sound contributes to the audiovisual whole, examining its roles beyond its literal, concrete meaning. 

Key concepts in Chion’s analysis

• Audio-vision: Chion argues that film viewers do not simply see images and hear sounds as separate elements. Instead, they experience a new form of perception called “audio-vision,” where sound and image are unified into a single, trans-sensory whole.
• Added value: This refers to the expressive and informative value that a sound, such as music, adds to an image, creating a specific impression in the viewer’s mind. Music can enhance the emotional impact, create dramatic tension, or provide a new layer of meaning that wasn’t present in the visual alone.
• Reduced listening: Chion’s analytical method, which goes beyond simply listening to a sound’s literal meaning (e.g., the words in a speech), focuses on other characteristics, such as its structure, shape, or texture. By “reducing” a sound’s concrete nature, one can better understand its relationship to the image and its contribution to the film’s overall audiovisual discourse.
• Reciprocity: The relationship between sound and image is not one-way; they influence and change each other. A piece of music can change how we interpret an image, and an image can change how we perceive the music.
• Sound’s changing role: Chion notes how technological advancements like Dolby have given more prominence to noise and other sounds, challenging the traditional hierarchy where speech was central to the soundtrack. He sees this as a shift in how soundtracks function in cinema. 

How to apply Chion’s analysis

1. Observe the audiovisual relationship: When watching a scene, pay attention to how the music interacts with the image. Does it reinforce the visual, contradict it, or add a new layer of meaning?
2. Listen beyond the literal: Use the concept of “reduced listening” to focus on elements of the music other than the melody or its immediate emotional effect. Consider its rhythm, texture, and timbre in relation to what is on screen.
3. Analyze the “added value”: Ask yourself what the music adds to the scene. Does it foreshadow events, reveal a character’s inner feelings, or build tension?
4. Consider the reciprocity: Think about how the visuals and the music are mutually influencing each other. How would the scene feel if the image was slightly different, or the music was different? 

References

Chion, Michel. (2012) Audio-Vision : Glossary 100 concepts to think and describe sound cinema: pdf-file [2022-08-06] http://michelchion.com/texts 

Locke, Chris (2006). UK Art and Design Education and Inter-Disciplinary. In Art Studies – Between Method and Fancy, ed. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Arūnas Gelūnas, pp. 61-78. Vilnius Academy of Fine Art Press, Vilnius.

Lotman, Jurij (1973). Filmens semiotik och filmestetiska frågor: Kontrakurs Bokförlaget Pan/Nordstedts, Nordstedts förlag, Stockholm. pp. 33-61.

Prendergast, Roy M. (1992). Film music a neglected art 1992 (second edition): W.W. Norton & company, New York. pp. 249-301.

Schafer, R. Murray (1994). The soundscape: Our sonic environment and the thing of the world: Destiny Books, Vermont. pp. 181-202.

Söderbergh Widding, Astrid (2006). Konst som rörlig bild – från Diagonalsymfonin till Whiteout: Bokförlaget Langenskiöld, Sveriges Allmänna Konstförenings årsbok 2006, Lidingö. pp. 95-173.

Thoresen, Lasse. (2007). Form-building transformations – an approach to the aural analysis of  emergent musical forms. The Journal of Music and Meaning. JMM 4, 2007, section 3. JMM: The Journal of Music and Meaning – Lasse Thoresen – Form-building Transformations [2021-02-17]

Vlček, Daniel (2025). https://danvlcek.com/ [2025-12-07]