'Persistent Silence' Proposal

For myself I consider the theme of persistent silence a chance for my thoughts to flow. However when trying to sleep i often begin to over-think, and my brain is not allowed to switch off. My body then feels unable to relax and the persistent silence of the early hours make me uncomfortable. A solution i have found is to play an audiobook or a film that i have seen many times and know the words to. This allows my mind to focus on one thing and gradually become comforted by a constant. I feel that silence can often be uncomfortable especially in a gallery or library where one is supposed to maintain silence you are suddenly conscious of any little movement you make as though to make sure you don't create a loud noise. The persistent silence is daunting. I therefore propose to intervene the awkward and distracting persistent silence of the gallery atmosphere and create a comforting place within the space.

I intend to use sound as installation by placing audio books within pillows, played at a low level. I feel this is vital in order to gain an interactive element to my piece, as the audience will have to get close to the work in order to hear the sound. I also am considerate of the possibility that loud sound may distract or counteract another artists' work within the space. Like the 'Straylight Cavern' I would like my piece to not only be interactive but also tactile. Like the work in the cell gallery space that could be touched, such as the giant dome space that contained the work, the pillows will be able to be picked up and moved about the space again to enhance an interactive feel to the work. I decided to use pillows to play on the idea of comforting sound. I also find an interesting contrast between sound and the 'muffling' quality of pillows, as material absorbs sound.

by Pippa Sweeney