WeNature is an artistic research initiative and philosophical exploration of the relationship between music and nature, developed within LIMAO. Its goal is to create music that harmonises with the richness of wild environments while developing Gaia — a unique electroacoustic instrument designed to interact in real time with the characteristics of the surrounding space.
Gaia reached its first stable version in July 2024. The project has produced peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations. Ongoing work includes performances in mountainous landscapes, conference dissemination, and lending Gaia to other musicians for feedback.
Português
O WeNature é uma iniciativa de investigação artística e exploração filosófica da relação entre música e natureza, desenvolvida no LIMAO. O seu objetivo é criar música que se harmonize com a riqueza dos ambientes selvagens, desenvolvendo o Gaia — um instrumento eletroacústico único, concebido para interagir em tempo real com as características do espaço envolvente.
O Gaia atingiu a sua primeira versão estável em julho de 2024. O projeto já produziu publicações peer-reviewed e apresentações em conferências. O trabalho em curso inclui performances em paisagens montanhosas, disseminação em conferências e o empréstimo do Gaia a outros músicos para recolha de feedback.
People
Filipe LopesPrincipal InvestigatorComposer, musician, professor, developerfilipelopes.net ↗
CIPEM / INET-mdResearch centre partnerMusic psychology, education, and communitycipem.ese.ipp.pt ↗
Gaia — a brief history
Gaia was developed and designed specifically to sound at its best in wilderness spaces.
Starting in January 2023, we experimented with different instruments and electronic devices in wilderness spaces, delving into experimentations using platforms such as the bELa board and Daisy Seed. We studied new instruments and interfaces, music composed for outdoor performance, and the way luthiers design indigenous and traditional music instruments.
We ventured into the wildest environments possible — mountains, forests, or city parks — to draw inspiration, reflect on our work, and perform improvised music using acoustic instruments, laptops, and electronic music gear.
Although we knew Gaia would be an electroacoustic instrument, many of its features remained uncertain. Through studying other instruments and analysing various platforms, we identified seven guiding principles to define Gaia's technological framework.
Design principles
01Low latency
02Able to produce acoustic sound
03Self-contained and rechargeable
04Mid-size and portable
05Able to synthesise and sample sounds
06Able to collect data from the environment
07Able to include AI in the signal chain
We were fortunate to discover an abandoned log that seemed to speak to us, inspiring its use in our project. Over several months, we carefully shaped it, carving out a cavity to house the electronics while staying true to the principles we had established.
Extensive experimentation was conducted before arriving at a stable, tangible concept. The instrument's body posed numerous questions: What form should it take? Where should the materials come from? How do we approach sustainability? And how do we physically engage and interact with it during performance?
After a year and a half of experimentation, research, analysis, and envisioning, Gaia made its debut, singing for the first time at a symposium held at Casa de São Roque — Centro de Arte Contemporânea, Porto.
Lopes, F. Gaia: um instrumento musical eletroacústico como reflexão sobre música, natureza e tecnologia. 3º Encontro em Música, Tecnologia e Investigação. Universidade de Aveiro.
2024 · Performance
Lopes, F. & Coutinho, S. WeNature: o que significa tocar música na natureza. Apresentação oral e performance. Seminário WeNature, Porto.
