Today my installation proposal ‘Subway’ was approved for Burning Man 2010!

Here is a description of the piece:

Philosophical Statement:

Within chaotic urban environments, we seek mental isolation as a coping mechanism. Through isolation we can escape from the tension of surroundings to an internalized space of freedom. As we revisit this space over time, our mental barriers grow stronger in an attempt to preserve this internal place of serenity.  Subway is an audio installation that examines this isolation, juxtaposing the dynamic sounds of a New York subway station with the vast, unconstrained desert.

Physical Description:

Two subway benches sit back to back, isolated in the middle of a room.  Each bench contains 6 seats.  4 posts protrude from the ground, forming a square that is 20′ in diameter around the subway bench.  Each post is 4″ in diameter and capped with a 12″ speaker facing inward.

A of a subway station continuously plays.  With no one sitting on the bench, a surround sound audio recording of a subway station absent of people continuously plays. As  more people begin to sit on the bench increases, the density of the crowd within the recording increases.  In addition, to emphasize the feeling of a subway train arriving and departing, a subwoofer will be hidden within the base of the bench.

To create the dynamic crowd increase, six layers of audio with will be recorded in a NYC subway station, each containing their own level of crowd density. When the amount of people sitting on the bench increases, the audio will transitionally increase crowd’s density level.

Controlling Subway will be run by a small computer with custom software written in Pure Data.  Connected to the computer will be a multichannel audio card and an Arduino microprocessor.  With the aid of piezo sensors, the Arduino will allow the bench to detect how many people are sitting on the bench. In addition, there will be a car battery to power the device and an audio amp for the speakers.  These electronic components will be located at the base of the bench in a secured box.

The bench used will not resemble the one shown in the 3D rendering, rather it will be a replica of a N.Y.C. subway bench. Because of its common presence for an extensive period of time, the N.Y.C. subway bench is an an iconic design that can invoke a response within most who have encountered one.  To add to the aesthetic presence, the bench will be decorated with artifacts such as stickers, tags and gum.

A 3D Rendering