'Audio Out' speaker, York University Art Gallery
Shhh! (2010)
First installation: Art Gallery of York University
Commissioned by Art Gallery of York University’s Audio Out exhibition series
Shh! is a sound installation for a single audio speaker in a public space. It consists of 24, 1-hour tracks running continuously in the space at an overall volume level which matches the ambient sound level of the space.
Timeline screen capture.
Gallery note: A good shushing (like your grandmother probably used to give you), is like an arrow shot through shared airspace. It pulls focus away from self-obsessed interior gazing and casts it out into the world, framing and punctuating the contribution each of us makes to the collective soundscape of the commons.
A good shushing can also wake you up – if only for a moment – to the struggle that each of us experiences in trying to control our surroundings and be heard above the communal din.
Many elements in this work were first presented as part of (((Cocktail Party Effect))) ‘The Audio Waiters’, a guerilla performance project, produced and performed in collaboration with InterArts Matrix.Both of these works are available for presentation in other spaces and situations.
©Richard Windeyer 2010
Still Ringing (2005)
'Still Ringing' (installed in St. Andrew's church on Toronto Island, August 2005). Photo by Micheline Roi
First installation: St Andrew’s church, Toronto Island
Commissioned by Sound Travels/New Adventures in Sound
Binaural microphones are fixed to the underside of a seat in a contemplative location. The microphone’s signals are fed to a software program that emulates fine-grained hearing loss by applying specially-designed filters and – simultaneously – introducing synthetic simulations of tinnitus into the live feed. This gradually changing audio image (somewhat akin to an audio time-lapse portrait of hearing loss) is fed back to the listener via a pair of headphones placed on on the seat.
Gallery note: For generations of Torontonians, Toronto Island has been an essential means of escape from the noise and pollution of the city. The pews of St. Andrews church, and many other island locations are commonly regarded as choice locations for experiencing both a quiet relief from the city, and moments of peaceful introspection.
Still Ringing is an interactive sound installation exploring the impact of the city soundscape on physical memory and perception. Situated in a single church pew, its goal is to provide participants with a heightened contemplation of those sounds which are commonly and irrevocably etched within the ear through prolonged exposure to urban environments. As a listening experience, “Still Ringing” underscores the impact of this condition on the participant’s sense of personal connection with the outside world.
©Richard Windeyer 2005
