Room 402
2011
Performative 12-channel sound installation
Loudspeakers, vibration speakers, materials for room keeping, usher
60-minute loop (30-minute playback, 30-minute intermission)
The work Room 402 was exhibited in the artist hostel Room 402 of an art center, where I had stayed for three months. During my time there, I recorded various sounds heard from both inside and outside the building. Many of these sounds were then adapted and reenacted as a noise drama, or a sort of sound journal. These sounds reflect the inner ecology of this multi-purpose building—home to exhibition halls, theaters, offices, recording studios, and artist hostels—as well as the surrounding environment. Additionally, the subtle traces of those who stayed in the neighboring rooms can also be heard, experiences never before encountered by those who haven’t stayed in Room 402 themselves. Listeners are guided into the room one by one, each hour, to sit on a bed in the center of the room.
This work was inspired by my experience living with a housemate. Due to our distinct lifestyles, we rarely crossed paths face to face. As time went on and we grew accustomed to it, we eventually began to view avoiding sudden encounters as a form of courtesy toward one another. In this new mode of communication, we became more attuned to the sounds each of us made. The various noises my housemate produced, heard from beyond the walls or outside the door, conveyed far more information than I had expected. I could tell where she was in the house, what she was doing, what she was watching or listening to, what kind of clothes she was wearing, what she was discussing on the phone, when she went to bed, when she woke up, and even, through the distance and texture of the sounds, the structure and material qualities of the space I lived in. In this work, the subtle noises heard from behind the walls serve as clues to the kind of space beyond, as a narrator whispers a story with no beginning or end.
(KR)
2011
Performative 12-channel sound installation
Loudspeakers, vibration speakers, materials for room keeping, usher
60-minute loop (30-minute playback, 30-minute intermission)
The work Room 402 was exhibited in the artist hostel Room 402 of an art center, where I had stayed for three months. During my time there, I recorded various sounds heard from both inside and outside the building. Many of these sounds were then adapted and reenacted as a noise drama, or a sort of sound journal. These sounds reflect the inner ecology of this multi-purpose building—home to exhibition halls, theaters, offices, recording studios, and artist hostels—as well as the surrounding environment. Additionally, the subtle traces of those who stayed in the neighboring rooms can also be heard, experiences never before encountered by those who haven’t stayed in Room 402 themselves. Listeners are guided into the room one by one, each hour, to sit on a bed in the center of the room.
This work was inspired by my experience living with a housemate. Due to our distinct lifestyles, we rarely crossed paths face to face. As time went on and we grew accustomed to it, we eventually began to view avoiding sudden encounters as a form of courtesy toward one another. In this new mode of communication, we became more attuned to the sounds each of us made. The various noises my housemate produced, heard from beyond the walls or outside the door, conveyed far more information than I had expected. I could tell where she was in the house, what she was doing, what she was watching or listening to, what kind of clothes she was wearing, what she was discussing on the phone, when she went to bed, when she woke up, and even, through the distance and texture of the sounds, the structure and material qualities of the space I lived in. In this work, the subtle noises heard from behind the walls serve as clues to the kind of space beyond, as a narrator whispers a story with no beginning or end.
(KR)
#1-3 Installation View at Seoul Art Space Mullae (Photo by Jong Hyun Seo)
3 min Video Documentaion