In my proposal I have mentioned the motivation of using the concept of parallel universe to address my work. A parallel universe is somewhere I believe exists (or maybe not only one) but just not perceivable. Influenced by such idea of another universe, for many years I have had the imagination of myself being there or there already exists a ME. What if it’s true that the parallel universe operates simultaneously just like ours, have the same entities, and all activities are actually working in the same way? Or can be almost the same but have a lot of trivial differences or perhaps people use a completely different set of languages? So many questions without an answer yet our imagination is infinite. Let me assume the parallel universe has all the elements of our world but people make different decisions and have different properties and characters, like I could be studying meds instead of art there. I reckon I am, as are many others living here, very curious about how we’re doing over there. What if we can have a glimpse of how the parallel universe is like and what are we there? Worse or better or the same?
Perhaps it could be the perfect scene.
Thanks to that lyrics I am so fascinated by this idea. The word “perfect” is hard to define but I always think something can be perfect if it’s not working in the way it is in reality. The parallel universe is mysterious but if I can understand what’s going on there, no matter good or bad, I want to think that it is perfect.
As I am using a lot of less sophisticated and old electronics in this installation, I certainly expect “bad” sound results (“bad”, as defined in general sense). Yet I wouldn’t think the strangely reproduced sound is bad because as I said, I like the uncertainty and blurriness of old technologies. Through the work I want to criticise how we as spectators define the quality of art. The appreciation of defects and multi-manipulated strange sounds is what I wish to achieve.
I think about the system works this way:
The acrylic box is a parallel universe and we are trying to grasp an idea of how the parallel universe acts and performs. In my imagination, that universe has all the same elements as ours does.
The interior of the acrylic box has a microphone pointing towards the speaker but not too close, to achieve a “listening to our manipulated selves” (the sound input of the audience as the original source of “ourselves”) kind of idea. Not too close because I also want the enclosed box to do its things in terms of acoustics. Like the parallel universe actually has its own operation system and logics - all elements are the same (same input sources) yet works in an entirely different way (sounds different eventually). Don’t know how for sure, but it kind of seems that way in my mind.
Below is about the construction of the actual acrylic box.
First, it’s the material. This article on Soundproof Central states that Acrylic of 3/8 to 1/2 an inch thick are enough to block sounds. I do 10mm thick since I want the box to be soundproof that we can’t or barely hear the sound from the interior speaker and the interior mic won’t pick up sound from the exterior.
5 planes (4 sides and the base) are welded together using acrylic cement (failed a bit… sadly). The top is removable. The speaker cone and the microphone will be hung from the top acrylic piece with fishing line and I will close the acrylic box when the installation is to be set up. All materials weigh around 5kg.
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