SANS SPEAKERS

Drawing on a minimalist sound aesthetic, Sans Speakers is an immersive installation that explores the circulation, transformation, and autonomy of sound.

Within an octagonal listening space, six panels form a substrate inhabited by 100 speakers. A seventh panel houses the “brain” of the device, connected to the speakers by a network of filament-like wires.

This brain orchestrates the circulation of electronically generated sounds by activating the speakers at different moments. Each speaker filters the frequencies that pass through it, giving it a distinct sound signature. As it unfolds through space, the sound is transformed: timbre, texture, and clarity evolve as it passes from one speaker to another and resonates on the panels.

The brain’s underlying behavior is based on a cellular automaton. Selected sound frequencies move within a matrix, where they modulate and influence the sounds of other panels, similar to ants communicating using sonomones (sound pheromones).

Glitches, resulting both from the limitations of the device and from deliberate interventions, can give rise to unexpected rhythms. Constantly evolving, the composition gradually reveals new patterns and soundscapes.