Studio Visit | Baldvin Ringsted
With a background in music, artist Baldvin Ringsted is deeply fascinated by the connections between sound, memory, and visual art. His practice spans sculpture, painting, collage, and video, often translating music and auditory experiences into tangible, visual forms.
When curating the Royal Heritage Suite at the Corinthia Brussels, we approached him to create a piece that would embody the suite’s cultural and musical theme that was inspired by the nearby Musical Instruments Museum. Intrigued by his unique approach to bridging auditory and visual mediums, we went behind the scenes with Baldvin to explore his inspirations and process. Read our full conversation below to learn about his work, inspirations and process.
What inspired your exploration of the intersection between music and visual art?
“I have always been listening to and playing music. As a teenager growing up in the north of Iceland, music was the most important thing in my life. Everything revolved around music, social status, creativity and communication. When I started practicing visual art it felt only natural using music as a main reference point.”
© Malcolm Cochrane Photography
Auditory memory is central to much of your work. In what ways does it influence and shape your creative process?
“I am fascinated by the ambiguous qualities of sounds and music. People will perceive sounds and music in a different way based on their connection or experience with that particular sound. I try to hint at these qualities of sound-memory in my visual work. I like how music can affect you and evoke feelings in an abstract way, i.e., there is no visual reference or text linking to a certain memory, just some frequency hitting your eardrums.”
What draws you to explore soundwaves as a visual motif?
“I am interested in how we translate one medium to another, but unlike how letters form words we can understand, soundwaves are a totally abstract form to most of us, even though we know what they generally represent. This leaves the work more open to interpretation.”
What led to your choice of mirrors as the medium for your soundwave sculptures?
“I like to use mass-produced art and design objects that have become a part of our collective memory. Nearly everyone remembers a mirror in this style from their childhood. To me it is like some sort of Voodoo, attempting to capture a musical memory in a solid object.”
© Malcolm Cochrane Photography
What kind of experience or effect do you hope your work evokes in those who engage with it?
“My primary objective is to create work that resonates with viewers on multiple levels. While visual aesthetic is always important, I also hope to encourage deeper engagement and contemplation. I aim to foster a dialogue between the viewer and the artwork, inviting personal interpretation and reflection.”
Your technique of carving into paintings introduces a physical transformation to an otherwise traditional medium. What motivates this approach?
“Similar to my use of household mirrors, this technique involves juxtaposing contrasting elements. The inherent warmth and nostalgic associations of traditional landscape paintings are deliberately counterbalanced by the calculated, modern intervention of the carving process. This interplay reflects the core themes explored in my music-inspired work: the harmonious coexistence of organic and mechanical, the interplay of frequency and found objects/ideas.”
What inspired you to use a similar interplay between legibility and abstraction in your sheet music prints?
“I have always been fascinated by the use of symbols and codified systems to translate information between different forms. My work with sheet music draws inspiration from the innovative approaches of early contemporary composers like John Cage. Their use of abstract notation and unconventional performance instructions challenged traditional interpretations of musical score, inviting greater individual expression and creative freedom.”
© Malcolm Cochrane Photography
History Meets Harmony: Baldvin Ringstad for The Corinthia Brussels Royal Heritage Suite
When curating the art collection for the prestigious Royal Heritage Suite at the Corinthia Brussels, which has hosted luminaries such as Winston Churchill, Salvador Dalí, Andy Warhol, and Bob Dylan, ArtLink aimed to create a dialogue between the suite’s storied past and the Belgian cultural heritage. Inspired by the nearby Musical Instruments Museum, the suite’s design resonates with musical elegance, featuring a baby grand piano, a turntable with an eclectic record collection, and music-inspired artwork curated by ArtLink. This setting provided the ideal setting for Baldvin Ringsted’s musical artwork.
Corinthia Brussels Royal Heritage Suite
We approached Baldvin to create a piece that would offer a unique connection to Belgian culture and history. Drawing from Belgian musical heritage, Baldvin used the soundwave of the iconic Belgian song La chanson des vieux amants by Jacques Brel to create a striking mirror sculpture for the suite. This piece transforms the essence of Belgium’s musical legacy into a tangible object, bridging sound and memory. Listen to the song below.
© Malcolm Cochrane Photography
© Malcolm Cochrane Photography
In addition to the soundwave mirror sculpture, other artworks by Baldvin were selected for the suite, including a sheet music artwork. These pieces, alongside the other musical elements of the suite, harmonize to elevate it into an immersive cultural experience. Blending history, music, and contemporary art, the collection celebrates the suite’s illustrious past while embracing the dynamic spirit of modern creativity.
Birds, Allegro Moderato, 2024
Baldvin Ringsted’s innovative approach bridges auditory and visual mediums, inviting viewers to experience sound and memory in entirely new ways. His ability to transform sound into visual art brings a unique perspective that enhances the immersive cultural experience to our project for this historic Brussels site.
Explore more about our unique collection for the Corinthia Brussels and discover the artistry and stories behind each piece.