The project is based around the “Habitat” prompt kit. Inspired by the esoteric ideas of alchemical transmutation, the purpose behind the project is to have the participating subjects consider their surroundings and the ideas of the ambient noises within and around the seemingly mundane spaces they inhabit (their “habitat”) on a daily basis. This contemplation initiates a series of several interesting questions for the subject: which of these noises in their space can be considered “artful” or “beautiful?” Which of these are considered the opposite, being “harsh” or “undesirable?” How could these noises, both pleasant and harsh, be used or listened to from an artistic perspective? What would happen if the parameters of a room, space, or one’s surroundings were able to be controlled at will, or even fed back into the space and manipulated again? What would this action lead to?
The goal, then, of this project is to entertain and answer these questions using sound by creating an “aurally distorted mirror” of an ambient space, which is done by producing an exaggerated reflection of the inherent ambient noises and sounds that occur naturally within a room. This transmutation of the ambient sounds of subject’s surroundings into a “dimension of exaggerated ambience” is produced willingly through the incorporation of interactive elements into the installation, inspired by the esoteric ideas of Hermetic philosophy and the alchemical processes and ideas of magick and transmutation. This “act of will” allows for the creative manipulation and interaction with the “habitat” from participating subjects, and allows them to consider how a simple act of will can manipulate the space and dimension around them.
