Sketch for Drowning Cell
8 Channel Sound, Video, Custom Electronics, Custom Software
When the door of the space closed, the room would volumetrically fill with sound. Eight channel sound was tuned to the resonant frequency of the room. The room would fill with sound from the ground up immersing the spectator in sound. The sound is generative, creating extremely low frequencies inaudible to the ear, but physically felt in the body. Using techniques developed for sonic warfare and new age healing, the body is exposed to frequencies as low as .3 Hz when the space is entirely "full". A water line was projected onto a window, raising as the space filled.
Upon exit or entrance by another viewer, pressure would drop when the door was opened, and the sound would volumetrically lower and rush out. The process of filling would begin again once the door was closed.
Headphones or studio monitors capable of low frequencies are necessary to listen to this clip; however, for the full experience sound pressure and resonance in the actual space is necessary. This one minute sample is a condensed version of the original piece, where the "filling" took considerably longer.