Using over 200 electric kitchen appliances, the German artist and composer Michael Petermann has built a symphonic orchestra of sorts (the name means "stupid orchestra" due to the "musicians'" limited abilities), which is currently on display at the MKG Hamburg.
The orchestra consists largely of design classics built between 1912 and 1975, including the Braun Aromaster, a coal-fuelled Miele washing machine from 1955, Sixtant razors from three decades and Goertz's famous Starmix mixers, all of which Petermann bought at flea markets and through ebay. For the exhibition, Petermann composed a 30-minute piece, which is relayed to the appliances through a midi interface. The result is a unique and very humourous sonic experience, a 3-minute excerpt of which can be seen here:
Here's an interview with the composer (in German):
On display at the Hamburg Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe until 30 April 2011.
Further information on the artist's website.
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