Faculty of Art

Integrated Media

Sophie Min

Room Tone

The project explores the possibility of documenting a retrospective impression on/nostalgiaabout summertime Beijing through an interactive sound installation.

“The 7 channel soundscape outlines a place that is nowhere to be found but within my own mind. It has been 4 years since I last visited my hometown Beijing due to China’s travel ban. The more time I spend on my own in Toronto, the more detached and out of place I feel. The initial intention of the piece is to create an outlet for the detachment, uncertainty, fear and sense of loss I have been processing, and the method I have chosen to achieve so is to revisit and reconnect with my massive collection of digital documentation of my life in Beijing, especially the audio recordings. The recordings mostly document moments I wished to hold onto throughout my teenage years, with the last one being recorded in 2018. Materials I've selected to work with include private conversations, lectures, sounds in the city/my neighbourhood; restaged recordings referencing personal memories associated with summer or home - fragments of classical music I have practiced playing in the past; sound of campfire/eggs frying in a pan; etc. Proximity sensors are installed as triggers to random bell sounds and dialing sounds, as a way to let the audience take part in the creation of the soundscape while keeping its linear structure. A projected sound reactive image is used as lighting and to provide more context.”