Stairspace
梯間, 201712-channel Sound Installation
The staircase is a link that connects the space between the G/F and the 3/F of the Run Run Shaw Creative Media Centre, in my opinion, which is a far easier and convenient option when comparing to the lifts. Yet, I still don't understand why there are people who prefer taking the lift instead of walking a few steps during rush hours, such that the staircase is not utilized effectively. Also, I find the sonic environment in the staircase is very spacious, filled with wet reverberation and amplification that gathers all sounds from the building, which is an interesting sonic environment to explore.
The work Stairspace aimed to articulate the sonic space in the staircase from the G/F to the 3/F and to subvert the listening experience in the building. Various microphones (contact microphone, electret microphone and magnetic coil) were placed in different areas around the staircase and collected the sounds nearby. The sound of touching the handrails, lift ding,
notification screen, and etc., were captured, transmitted and broadcasted by the speakers on the wall in real time. Different sound sources were gently mixed into a sound collage, which could be listened separately from each speaker, or all together as an assemblage.
The collection and dislocation of different sounds suggested listeners a new listening perspective, or a dilemma perhaps - when they listened to the sounds, they could not identify the sources, but when they sought for sound sources, they had to leave from the speakers and thus could not listen to the sound. In this circumstances, what listeners would hear was largely contributed by other's participation. I hoped such interactive context and sonic subversion could interest people to the environment around the stair.
