Surface Thoughts, 2019
Surface Thoughts consists of a simultaneous audio and visual experience. There are 6 channels of sound, playing 3 tracks. One track contains samples of interviewed individuals rambling representing the noise of life, one contains midi piano reperesenting mental states through motifs, one contains the artist’s voice saying surface thoughts about herself. The surface thoughts were also projected on the wall. Participants wrote thoughts and placed them with post-its on the wall alongside the projected surface thoughts.
Participants were drawn into Surface Thoughts due to its volume. It explores self image and mental health while providing an informal survey for participants to get a guage of how their surface thoughts contrast with those of other visitors. It emphasizes how simple methods of engagement and hidden mechanisms can be used to draw participants into thinking of the concepts.
Many stayed for a short while to listen to the entire play through. Some returned to read new post-its. No one lingered for long due to the ex- treme volume. The tech was nearly invisible, and therefore the partici- pants focused almost solely on the idea of surface thoughts. This project emphasized how simple methods of engagement and hid- den mechanisms can be used to draw participants into thinking of the concepts. It was also my introduction to gaffing and audio routers.