‘Acoustic Shadows : an Exploration of the Sense of Space,’ is an audio-visual artistic experimentation that attempts to simulate perceived presence, or awareness of the otherness.  The study is inspired by the theory of the Ecology of Perception, by James Gibson, in that we inspect the system of perceptual awareness as related to one’s surroundings.  In other words, we are not exhibiting signals of the pseudo-other rather creating a milieu where the otherness imprints itself on the environment.

The physical interactive installation creates a sonic environment which envelops the visual experience; as opposed to the classical frontal representation, in order to mirror the tactility of sound :  a shift from audiovisual representation to multi-sensory immersion. The traditional dichotomy of the object and the subject, the observer and the observed, is challenged, revisited and progressively replaced by the emergence of a meaningful environment in which entities dialogue by exchanging manifestations of their existence.

‘Acoustic Shadows’ is a modern Interpretation of the Myth of Orpheus, centered around the suspension of time. As Orpheus is making his way back from the Underworld with his beloved Eurydice following behind him, he is consumed by the memory of Eurydice and the physical manifestation of her presence behind him.  This memory, combined with the acoustic shadow of Eurydice, creates an irresistible desire. We aim to create a contemporary audiovisual ambiance and reincarnation of this mythical tension between suspension and passage of Time.

Philosophy

As we assume that there is a strong parallel between the nesting of ecological events and the pure heterogeniety of Bergsonian Duration and the ecological environment and Extensivity, our work aims at installing within the interior of the Gibsonian framework, the Bergsonian concepts of Pure Duration and Spatial Extensivity.

Our goal as artists is to create an audio-visual environment that fosters the emergence, in our audience, of the perception of Pure Duration and spatial Extensivity as immanent dimensions of Space and Time.  This perception does not require pre-established abstract representation of Time and Space, and in this sense, these are quasi-universal dimensions.  

Scientific Foundation

‘Acoustic Shadows’ was inspired by Frank Dufour’s research regarding auditory perception of moving objects in space.  During this research, he discovered that listeners, placed in a diffused sonic field, could be aware of the presence and movement of silent objects in this environment.  This awareness is acquired by the perception of the slight transformation applied to the spectrum of diffused sound, by the presence and movement of these objects.

While Frank Dufour is currently participating in traditional scientific publications on the subject, our installation renders sensitive this research and discovery :  We propose that art is the indicator of complexity in the human perceptive system.