Desenho Sonoro, 97Hz — sand pattern formed by sound vibration on a Chladni plate, photograph by Felippe Moraes.
Desenho Sonoro, 178Hz — Chladni plate sand pattern photographed by Felippe Moraes.
Desenho Sonoro, 271Hz — geometric sand pattern created by sound frequency, photograph by Felippe Moraes.
Desenho Sonoro, 790Hz — Chladni plate photograph by Felippe Moraes showing sound vibration patterns.
Desenho Sonoro, 980Hz — sand pattern from sound vibration, photographed by Felippe Moraes.
Desenho Sonoro, 1228Hz — high-frequency Chladni plate pattern photographed by Felippe Moraes.

Felippe Moraes
Desenho Sonoro (Sound Drawing), 2014
Fine art photographic print on paper
150 × 150 cm (each)

The series Desenho Sonoro (2014), by Felippe Moraes, investigates the relationship between sound, form, and physical phenomena. The photographs record the patterns produced by sound vibrations in handfuls of sand scattered over a metal plate.

The procedure recalls the experiment developed in the eighteenth century by the German physicist Ernst Chladni, known as the Chladni plate. In this device, different sound frequencies cause the sand to rearrange itself on the metal surface, forming symmetrical geometric patterns that visually reveal the structure of sound waves.

By photographically recording these ephemeral patterns, the artist turns a physical phenomenon into an image. What normally remains invisible — the propagation of sound — gains material presence through compositions that oscillate between science, music, and geometry.

The photographs make the internal organization of acoustic vibrations visible, converting sound into drawing. The series brings scientific investigation and artistic language together, revealing the visual dimension contained within sonic processes.

Selected Exhibitions

  • 2025 – Solfejo – CAIXA Cultural Curitiba (Paraná, Brazil)
  • 2025 – Solfejo – CAIXA Cultural Rio de Janeiro (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
  • 2024 – Solfejo – CAIXA Cultural Brasília (Distrito Federal, Brazil)
  • 2019 – Solfejo – Centro Cultural FIESP (São Paulo, Brazil)
  • 2014 – Ordem – Baró Galeria (São Paulo, Brazil)
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