“a light interference” is a participatory interactive sound installation by Cao Thanh Lan for audience’s gesture and shadow, light sensor and speech synthesis. Shadow is usually silent but in this installation the audience’s shadow can be heard through the changes in the speech synthesis, triggered by their own shadow.
This work is an attempt to balance between intentionality and unintentionality. The shadow and the sound are the immaterial projections of the participants’ physicality.
The main result of this participatory work could be either the spectacular shadow, or the choreography of the individual audience, or the interesting changes in the course of sound enabled by the shadow movement, or any combination of these three. It depends on the inclination and disposition of each individual audience/performer. For example: Some might choose to focus mainly on the sound and the shadow intentionally, thus their physical body moves unintentionally. Some might be more aware of their physical body movement, thus their shadow and the sonic outcome is (partially) unintentional. Some are capable of paying attention to all the three elements simultaneously.
Some photos from the exhibition/performance at Heritage Space Hanoi, March 2019.
Cao Thanh Lan 