Flicker Chamber stages a building eternally suspended between the stillness of its walls and the chaos of its ruins. This architectural micro-dramaturgy freezes in time the split-second when everything changes, when matter enters into vibration and the stability of the world that surrounds us is about to disappear.
Flicker Chamber explores how the evanescence of light and sound transcends the immobility of architecture. Multiple oscillators calibrated to the room’s dimensions slowly fluctuate to generate infra-basses and trigger stroboscopic bursts. While the sound is too low to be heard, the stroboscopic alternations of brightness and darkness are too rapid to be seen. Instead, the sound waves create pressure nodes that are felt physically and make the building resonate. At the same time, the flickering light creates a feeling of hyper-reality and make the walls visually tremble.
Flicker Chamber is a project that relies on light and sound to suspend and destabilize our perception of spaces. It is as much a physical and sensorial effect as it is an affective and emotional one. As bodies and architectures are set into resonance and suspended in time, the traces hidden in spaces are given the time to emerge and challenge our personal memories.
This site-specific installation can range from a single room to a whole building. The quality of the project depends on the space and its material qualities. Industrial building, service corridors, containers, concrete, stone and metallic walls are adequate environments. Other places such as libraries, castles, locker rooms or abandoned buildings can also be envisioned.
Presentation:
Sights of Feeling 2019
Technique:
Stroboscopes, Subwoofers, Pure Data
