Meet Edern Janneau and Matthieu Henry, the faces behind Sweet Scope studio
Garage Rotterdam went in conversation with Edern Janneau and Matthieu Henry, the faces behind Sweet Scope – a Rotterdam-based art, design and sound studio founded in 2021. With the help of interactive sound installations, the artistic duo aims to gently impact spaces defining functionality through dreamlike ideals. Sweet Scope is currently showcasing their installation Leaning Sounds (2022) within the exhibition Choreographed Events, curated by Bogomir Doringer.
Edern Janneau, who grew up near Nice, France, and Matthieu Henry, who is from Switzerland, Geneva, got acquainted with each other during their studies at the Design Academy in Eindhoven, within the Leisure department. It is after the Covid-19 period which followed shortly after, that they started working together and exploring the use of sound in their work.
“Interactivity and color are central to our work. We believe that by making minimal art interactive, we empower visitors, inviting them to engage directly and become a part of the artwork itself. ‘Leaning Sounds (2022)’ embodies this philosophy, turning simple shapes into relatable experiences for all to enjoy.”
As of today, Sweet Scope has presented three notable projects: ‘Melodic Gesture’, which served as Edern Janneau’s graduation showcase and associates movements with sounds through the prism of table tennis; ‘Sound of Touches’, an inventive fusion of analog and digital sounds to reimagine instruments; and, most recently, ‘Leaning Sounds’, presented at the moment at Garage Rotterdam.
What was the starting point for your first project, Melodic Gesture?
The idea behind Melodic Gesture is that sport is a beautiful game to play, not necessarily because of the competition but also because of the creation. Many sports and games exhibit a mutual relationship between movement and sound, where athletes use the sounds produced by their actions as feedback for their performance. Using table tennis as benchmark, players’ movements, ball trajectories, and speeds are transformed into harmonic musical elements, creating a dynamic symphony of play. This interactive object not only fosters a new understanding of movement and sound but also offers players and spectators a sensory experience where motion influences sound, and sound turns into guides for motion.
What was your inspiration for (the sounds within) the installation Leaning Sounds?
Edern: The most important goal for the sounds we created for Leaning Sounds is that they should be harmonious for the ear and with each other. The objects are instruments, but we try to make these in a way that somebody who doesn’t know music or this project, can come and play without prior musical education. We tone each of the instruments in the installation on the same scale, which makes it simple for the audience to play. All objects work as a whole, each sound responding to the other.
Matthieu: Leaning Sounds is about abstraction as well, being in the space on its own and inhabiting the space in a playful way. The colours have the purpose to gently attract people to see what’s happening inside the spaces of the objects. We use these sculptural objects to visualise the idea of playfulness.
You exhibited in different kinds of museums and locations, would you also like to exhibit Leaning Sounds in the public sphere?
Both Edern and Matthieu answer this question with the vision that this would make a lot of sense, that it would be amazing to see these objects for example at Rotterdam Central Station, for people passing by to start playing. Edern: The purpose of these objects is music for everyone, being able to play without having technical skills. I think it’s great that a lot of train stations have a piano, but not everyone knows how to play it. We want to look into sturdier versions of the instruments so it can be used in the public sphere.
How do you experience the interaction between visitors and the objects within Leaning Sounds?
Matthieu: We’ve seen various reactions from visitors. Surprisingly, someone even licked one of the objects once! And often with the blue object which is quite deep, you have parents grab their kids and put their heads into it. And many times when people touch the objects, they don’t realize they are actually creating the sound.
During Brandstof on Saturday 7 October, you will combine both Leaning Sounds and the instrument Sounds of Touches, can you give us a sneak peek of how this performance will take shape?
Edern: Leaning Sounds and Sounds of Touches will be a first for us as we never performed with both projects at the same time. After a performing session in which we introduce the audience to the sound atmosphere that the pieces can create, the audience will be invited to take part in the performance. The purpose is to organise a smooth transition between the play of the performers and the public participation. Visitors should be able to be part of this choreographed experience!
Matthieu: We are interested in organising other performative events. We once did a performative project for STRP Festival in Eindhoven, in which the topic of mysophonia was addressed. Such experiences are valuable because they allow us to engage with a live audience and place the works we’ve produced in a real context of interactions.
Is there anything you would like to add or have visitors taking away from your work?
Matthieu: I played the piano when I was younger, but I didn’t want to play in front of my family. What we aim for our objects is a statement for the universality and approachability of sounds and music. Edern: We want to make contemporary art more accessible. Our goal is for visitors to have fun, but also to feel a new motivation to play music and to use sounds. These pieces aim to cultivate a sense of intuitiveness, enabling everyone to explore music from a renewed perspective.
What are future projects we can expect from you?
Currently, we’re developing lamps, aiming to infuse everyday objects with our conceptual practice. We are also working on a soundscape for the Paris Design Week. We try to create new pieces for each exhibition. Matthieu: We will keep focusing on sounds, interaction and accessibility. I think the public space is important to implement in this process, to bring our objects outside and make them more accessible. In this way we use instruments for people to regain the space. Edern: The pieces we make are both tools of entertainment and education. You get entertained, but at the same time you learn how to play it. It is a kind of democratic and educative entertainment.
Sweet Scope will perform during Brandstof: Leaning Sounds and Sound of Touches on Saturday 7 October at 8 PM. Tickets (€5,00) can be purchased here.
Read more about Sweet Scope.
Choreographed Events is curated by Bogomir Doringer and on show every Wednesday to Friday, 12.30 – 5.30 PM until 5 November 2023. Read more about Choreographed Events here. Reserve your online exhibition tickets here.
Images from top to bottom:
- Edern Janneau and Matthieu Henry with their work Leaning Sounds (2022)
- Edern Janneau and Matthieu Henry in their studio
- The making of Leaning Sounds (2022)
- Sound of Touches