echo chamber

2023
single-channel video sound installation


The sound piece is an exploration of the sonic environment of Hong Kong, using electronic sounds and field recordings to capture the reflections and reverberations of sound within the city's streets. The piece focuses on the ways in which sound bounces off different surfaces and materials, creating unique sonic textures and atmospheres. Water is also a prominent element in the work, serving as a metaphor for the ubiquitous air conditioning units that drip in the city's walkways. 

The architecture of Hong Kong plays a significant role in shaping the piece's sonic landscape. The city's dense urban environment creates a sense of confinement and enclosure, with sound bouncing off the walls of buildings and reverberating through narrow streets and alleys. This creates a sense of atmosphere and mood that is both immersive and disorienting.

Gernot Böhme's concept of "atmospheric spaces" is also relevant to this work, as it explores the ways in which the sonic environment of a place can shape our emotional and psychological experience of it. The piece invites the listener to engage with the sounds of Hong Kong in a new way, drawing attention to the subtle nuances and complexities of the city's sonic landscape.

The sounds includes real field recordings e.g. of the blind map sound of mtr, traffic lights… talking mixing with synthetic sounds interpreting the reverberations and reflections seeing the city from a sonic point of view as an echo chamber.

Shot from an elevated perspective of a bustling urban environment, this one-take video captures an immersive experience of the city's ceaseless motions and pulsing energy. With a bird's-eye view of the urban echo chamber, it offers a panoramic view of the vibrant, dynamic cityscape below. The video runs forwards and backwards simultaneously, rewinding and replaying the hustle and bustle of the city.

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funded by No Discipline Limited, HKICC Lee Shau Kee School of Creativity & Asian Cultural Council