SONIC WORSHIP
SONIC WORSHIP
- Installation
- Tent
- Sleeping bag
- Clothes- Pillow
- Table
- Book
- Headphones
In this concept, a "shrine" is represented by a tent where a person zips themselves inside. The tent is decorated with representations of brain parts that process sound, like the amygdala, neocortex, and ganglia. While inside, the person listens to a narrated book through headphones, placed on a small altar table. The book fictionalizes the process of setting up a sound system in a ritualistic manner, explaining the steps needed to achieve a transcendental experience.
Four million years ago, our early ancestors began to walk. Their brains recognized patterns of sound, which we now understand as rhythm. This connection linked physical movement with sound. It's believed that early humans sewed elk teeth onto their clothing and danced, creating rhythmic sounds that could induce a trance-like state. The creation of dance music is directly related to these ancient practices, as sound was used then in a way similar to how we use it today. In this project, I explored the power of music through musicology, particularly the work of Michael Spitzer, to examine how deeply our hearing affects us compared to vision. I chose to present free party culture as a form of religion to illustrate the powerful sonic experiences provided by sound systems, especially for those who haven't experienced them before. The subcultures around free party movements can already be seen as ritualistic. The commitment to staying up for days, dancing in front of a massive stack of speakers, might seem strange to those unfamiliar with free parties.