00 ASSEMBLED RITUALS
Tristan de Anda / 2024 Grad Thesis
Thesis Advisor: William Virgil Hisotry / Theory Advisor:
A small collection of research and inspiration gathered in reference to the final product.
“Young architects can change the world by NOT building buildings.”
- Virgil Abloh
“The architectural space can be an indication of the content. Space created through moving sound is the frame for different kinds of activities and functions, a spatial experience for certain uses...”
In the midst of the ceaseless activities characterizing contemporary civilization, the significance of ambient sounds in shaping our daily experiences often eludes our conscious awareness. These auditory elements permeate our lives through diverse channels such as service scanners, vehicular interfaces, urban crosswalks, and digital platforms, collectively constructing the sonic backdrop that influences our actions, whether or not we actively acknowledge it. The auditory landscape, subtly contributing to the atmospheric conditions of the environments we inhabit.
The Thesis, Assembled Rituals, focuses its attention on constructing a “smart space” immersive installation that integrates ritualistic sound bath performances inspired by the ceremonial practices of indigenous cultures, primarily in Mexico, that shapes the architectural space along with the audio-visual landscape. Leaning on primitive forms involving the temporary and semi-permanent architecture of indigenous cultures to inspire the design, the project becomes a vessel for spatial exploration with the human body through spatial experimentation with sound healing in pursuit of holistic well-being, facilitating this integration through an immersive installation exhibit to redefine the concept of installation art, offering an experiential journey that extends beyond routine observation, promoting a congruous synchronization of tradition and contemporary.
THESIS STATEMENT
What is the project?
The project’s mission is an exploration of spatial design through the representation of an immersive audio installation that appeals to more senses than just the visual. The focus is an interior design informed through the study of indigenous cultural sound rituals and ceremonies that generates the spatial language of the project to construct the spatial structure. This approach leads to the creation of augmented geometry organizing the program within the space, allowing viewers to be situated within, and altering the performance and construction of the rituals to create a new experience.
The desire is for the installation to be interpreted beyond the visual critique, allowing for individuals to feel and interpret the space with their entire body and senses.
Why an installation?
Ritual / Ceremony
This project is coming to fruition as a proposed means of completely transforming the approach and practice to not only installation art as a medium, but to self-healing through acoustic and artistic means. Utilizing the structure and performance of healing rituals as the driving force behind designing a contemporary installation employing ambient music and frequency tones to envelop the participants in the immersion of the installation.
RESEARCH
How is sound healing? Indigenous groups that practice ritual ceremonies?
EXPLORATION
A collection of information I found useful in my projects development.
Sound healing can come in many forms and through different means and practices. Some that are popular today and revelent to healing treatments are sound baths. Sound baths are considered healing to the body and mind through a combination of physiological, psychological, and emotional effects.
