S I L E N C E _ Spatial Sound Institute 4D SOUND Budapest, HU.
S i l e n c e is an immersive sound installation which aims to approach Silence in three different perspectives: Horizontal – External, Vertical – Internal & Divergent.
“Her piece at the Spatial Sound Institute is a multi-layered exploration where she creates and holds a space of immersive listening and sharing in the stages she suggests towards the notion of Silence — External-Horizontal, Internal-Vertical and Divergent.
An intimate dialogue of natural sounds, resonant sounds and spontaneous exchange follows, each containing the world of silence within it. Silence, she reminds us, can be uncomfortable, but never without its subtle power and impact that may appear in our awareness and interstices of everyday experience where we can allow it in and experiment with it.
Based on John Cage’s writings, Silence is treated as a wide sound, a space where it is possible to identify the elements that compose the whole and each having equal importance. The project aims to encourage the senses and takes listening as the primary mode of experiencing — to be aware of what is going on around you and inside you, and to be able to make observations and move your attention fluidly in order to stimulate and sense creativity and inspiration. It's about creating space and meaning through self-awareness, listening, and being aware of the present and then working with what emerges, to create.” Alifiyah Imani, SSI
The first stage, Horizontal-External Silence recreates and portrays a natural soundscape in which the fundamental lines of the space are sketched and the individual fills in the blanks with their own images. It's an invitation to investigate the ingredients that make up this area of stillness using your senses and body.
The second step, Vertical-Internal Silence involves acknowledging oneself as a sound element with expression and existence within this silence. It's a self-reflection and reflection, an invitation to meditation and mantra, all of which take place in a resonant setting within the constructed space, where the mics are turned on, providing an intimate depth to the soundscape.
After passing through the previous phases of Silence, the third level, Divergent Silence, is a subtle invitation to interact for personal inspiration. It's a place where you may express yourself and become a part of the natural world as an imaginative and creative human with relationships, reflections, ideas, and intuition. We need tools that allow us to change and feel alive.
Listen to the binaural recording of the event here.
Drawings describing the dramaturgy of the Sound in the Space on the first stage Horizontal-External Silence; starting from the ground, from the feet, to wake up awareness of the floor, the gravity and then coming up until it evaporates and it takes the visitors to another space/sound configuration: the Vertical-Internal Silence.
This is how the Software looked like; all the different sounds represented by these shapes which were moving around the Space, changing the perception of the place and also of the others while sharing a space in common.
To know more about the project: Spatial Sound Institute Project Silence Description & Interview to the Artist