My concept for the ICM final project is an installation piece that uses the noises of important, controversial, political and or emotional issues to create reverberations (echos). A user would be prompted to read about these issues into a microphone, and then listen via headphones to their own words, put through the reverberations of these issues.

Interface mockups

Initial proof of concept code

http://alpha.editor.p5js.org/projects/SygbdEbZg

Goals

Use charged or confrontational news stories in an attempt to create a different kind of empathy using emotionally charged impulse responses in a convolution reverb system. The user will be effected, aurally, by the topic. Forcing to hear one’s self through the effect of the topic may perhaps create a different kind of connection. However, a sense of distance is still maintained. The user speaks with their own voice, accompanied by the echos of something serious.

“Political tools”?

Is a reverb supposed to be accurate? Is a tool not supposed to have an agenda? Is there a place for an opinionated tool?

Sound as data, data as agenda.

I am interested in data auralization, as opposed to data visualization, as a method of conveying data. While there are more utilitarian and straightforward aspects of this technique, I see no reason not to make a statement with the sound data and present it in a manner that unapologetically conveys a message.

“Hard to talk”

Depending on the impulse response in question, it could be difficult to hear or read the story given. However, these are difficult stories to hear or read without any audio effects at all.

 

Issues

Education

The conceptual core of appreciating the work is as much about communicating technically what is a convolution reverb, as it is about the metaphor of using it. Educating the user about convolution reverb before the artistic confrontation is necessary, but presents it’s own UX challenge.

Copyright

I am not entirely knowledgeable on the specific details of how sampled/remixed/referenced media is ethically and legally implemented in media art on a professional level. Time needs to be allocated towards getting permission to use works and researching publicly licensed media.

Topics

Are there topics that may be inappropriate for use? Would certain topics allow for easier media collection? Are there topics that may lessen the potential for harmful artistic appropriation (climate change could be less appropriative, when focused on animals or objects).

 

I had some great feedback after presenting in class, and will definitely try to refine the messaging and specific UX flow over the next few days in order to get started.