In Sound Mind

Human brains can subtract unwanted sense data – including sound – from the environment when we focus attention. The rest of the information is still being processed; it’s just attenuated, pushed to the background. In Sound Mind explores this ability, asking whether the brain can still edit sounds out when familiar sounds are played in an unfamiliar way, in a space that has more sound than is comfortable. In a darkened room, the installation plays pleasant soundscapes – such as bubbling brooks or wind through the trees – interrupted by screams, twisted laughter or the roar of a motorcycle, volume manipulated to sound unnatural, unexpected and jarring. The audio cascades relentlessly, giving little time for the listener to achieve aural comfort.