Proximité réduite

18,000 piezo loudspeakers cover two walls (4.5 × 7 m) of a large empty room. The diameter of each element varies according to the grid of an image, which becomes discernible only when viewed from a distance. As the visitor approaches, they perceive a faint, abstract, and vibrating sound emanating from these thousands of tiny sound sources.

These sounds originate directly from two symmetrically arranged installations located in the adjacent rooms. Upon entering one of these smaller spaces, one discovers dried beech leaves arranged on a white panel placed directly on the floor. Looking closely, the leaves can be seen vibrating almost imperceptibly. They are set in motion by a large industrial fan suspended from the ceiling, whose powerful noise creates a swirling flow of air through the room.

It is these vibrations that are perceived on the walls of loudspeakers.

Publication: Rudy Decelière. Proximité réduite, with a text by Robert Ireland, French/English

Support: Fonds d’Art Contemporain de la Ville de Genève