2016
Juan March Foundation, Madrid
8-channel audio, custom software, tactile transducers, ∞
Active 14 October 2016 – 15 January 2017
Commissioned for the exhibition Sound Art in Spain (1961–2016).
Curated by José Iges, José Luis Maire and Manuel Fontán del Junco.
untitled (sharawadji march) is a sound installation created for the stairway of the Juan March Foundation in Madrid based on the exploration of the aural and spatial characteristics of the site. Vibration transducers concealed throughout the stairway introduce airborne and structure-borne tactile sound into the space, activating the architecture and materials with acoustic energy. The intervention creates an ever-changing subtle zone of sound which consists of physical vibration felt touching the handrail, audible resonances of the brass structures, and transitory psychoacoustic sensations. The new aural layer merges with the surrounding sonic environment and with the ebb and flow of activity in the building. As a continuous and discreet intervention in a public area outside of the exhibition galleries, the work aims to stimulate a shift in the perception of the passers-by who might experience it.
“The Sharawadji effect is an aesthetic effect which characterises the sensation of plenitude sometimes created by the contemplation of a complex soundscape whose beauty is unexplainable. This virtual order, imperceptible and present, produces fascination and is breathtaking. It is unexpected and transports us elsewhere, beyond the strict representation of things, out of context.”
Jean-François Augoyard & Henry Torgue, Sonic Experience: A guide to Everyday Sounds, 2005
Special thanks: José Luis Maire, Emmanuelle Spinazzé, Sergio Millán, Silvia Janošková.
