Endless in the echo
Welcome to the world of feedback, that strange category of physical and metaphysical phenomena that fascinates and frustrates us in equal measure. This mixture of repetition, distortion and spontaneity is omnipresent in art, technology and pop culture. But what exactly is behind this concept, which is both a technical necessity and an artistic tool?
Acoustic echo: screaming into the canyon of digitality
Feedback is a phenomenon that originally comes from the world of acoustics. A microphone that is too close to a loudspeaker catches its own output and sends it back, resulting in a shrill whistling sound. This acoustic feedback loop, often perceived as annoying, is creatively realised in the music scene. Think of Jimi Hendrix, who manipulated his guitar signal in a controlled chaos of sound waves to create psychedelic effects that enhanced the listening experience.
Visual loops: GIFs and the aesthetics of the infinite
In the digital age, feedback loops have expanded from the acoustic to the visual dimension. Endless loops in the form of GIFs have established themselves as a visual vocabulary of their own, ranging from the subtly humorous to the deeply ironic. These small, repetitive clips are not just an internet phenomenon, but a form of digital art that explores the concept of infinite repetition and minimal variation. They are the visual equivalent of Steve Reich’s minimalist musical compositions, in which small changes have big effects.
Noise as a source: Artificial intelligence paints the inaudible
In the field of artificial intelligence (AI), feedback is used as a means of creation. Neural networks such as DeepDream utilise visual or acoustic “noise” to generate complex, often disturbing images. This technique, which is reminiscent of the principle of “pareidolic” vision – recognising faces in cloud formations – shows how machines learn to interpret patterns and structures in data that appear chaotic to the human eye.
Filmic time loops: Groundhog Day
In pop culture, the concept of the feedback loop has also found its way into the narrative. Films such as “Groundhog Day”, in which the protagonist relives the same day over and over again, use the infinite loop to explore deeper questions of human existence. Such stories emphasise how repetition can lead to self-reflection, a process that is both enlightening and exhausting.
The beginning is the end and the end is the beginning
In the “Dark” series, the concept of time is depicted as a self-devouring serpent, where the beginning is the end and the end is the beginning. This cyclical understanding of time and events provides a fascinating framework for considering our own, often backward-looking experiences in a world dominated by feedback systems – be they environmental, economic or social.
The feedback loop, whether in art, technology or pop culture, is more than a technical accidental product; it is a living, creative principle. It teaches us to recognise the traces of our identity, our fears and our dreams in the echoes of our own creations. There is variation in repetition, and in the silence between the loops we sometimes discover the unexpected.
