In December and January we show The Opposite of a Trumpet by Harald Jordal here in Notam's mediation room. The work can be experienced in Notam's mediation room, Monday to Friday between 10:00 and 15:00 until 30 January 2026.

The Opposite of a Trumpet
by Harald Jordal
This work has been commissioned by Notam in connection with the Instrument Building Symposium, November 2025. "When you get a project like this, it's hard not to ask yourself the question, "what is an instrument?". Once, early in the process, I stated that I certainly wasn't going to build a trumpet. This is what I had in mind.

The work consists of three sculptures made of paper, carbon fibre and concrete. When the audience presses a button, the sculptures vibrate and produce sound. The vibration lasts for about ten minutes. It sounds like electronic music, but played by materials that are as synthetic as they are organic.

Unlike a trumpet, where the sound is sent out like a projectile into space, this instrument holds the sound closer to the chest. 

During my work, I became aware of, and captivated by, the tiny differences in the sound character of the sculptures. They are built in such a way that the slightest impact can change them, inviting the audience to lean in and listen.

Harald Jordal Johannessen (b. 1995) is a Norwegian composer and artist with a particular interest in electronics and movement. He works at the intersection of music and technology, where mechanical movements, paper, motors and light often play as big a role as the sounding material. 

Among his projects are Flying Faders (2023), a sound sculpture where motorised mixer faders create both sound and visual movements, and Paperwork (2023), an instrument and sound sculpture based on paper and mechanics. In the work Turning Machine(2024), he explores the interaction between a stepper motor and performer in a scenic setting. He has also worked with instrument building and electronics in the project. Resfile, where small speakers are mounted inside wind instruments.

His aesthetic is minimalist and driven by systems-based music and mechanical processes. His works have been performed at festivals such as Ultima and Borealis, and he has collaborated with Oslo Brass Band, SISU Percussion Ensemble, Sean Bell and several dance projects.