Solutions for a Better Tomorrow

The HKBU team has curated a programme of music and soundscapes for selected paintings by pairing the painting with playlist of music from the Baroque period, which took visitors on an immersive journey to the Baroque era, an artistic period that flourished in Europe in the 17th century.

In order to match the theme and the rich details of this painting, Professor Johnny Poon and his team developed machine learning algorithms to generate models of singing voices in addition to the human vocals. For instance, the team has created the Palestrina’s motet with a version of the soprano and alto parts performed by female vocalists while the tenor and bass parts were generated by artificial intelligence. By merging Baroque music with modern technology, the innovative performance of the motet symbolises a dialogue between humans and celestial beings.

Building upon the idea of encapsulating the Baroque spirit, Professor Poon’s team also designed immersive soundscapes with the latest audio technologies and artificial intelligence to create a sensory experience that sparks the visitors’ imagination on the Baroque spirit. For example, to echo the rich and vibrant colours setting of the painting “Flowers and Fruit with a Woman Picking Grapes”, the team added an additional layer to the narrative by blending Baroque music with the sounds drawn from nature, including birdsong and the gentle sound of the wind.