Intimate Sounds. Intimate Sounds is an environment where two people share their most intimate sounds. It offers participants an opportunity to meditate on and explore the soundscapes of our internal bodies Taking the idea of Auscultation (act of listening for sounds made by internal organs, to aid in the diagnosis of certain disorders) and applying it to a non-medical context allows for participants to examine the often ignored sounds of the human body. Intimate Sounds takes something that was internal and inaudible and transform it into an audible external force. Each person becomes an instrument that only the other person can hear. At the same time, each person is a conductor who can not hear the music that they are creating. The dividing wall in the middle helps participants to focus on the sounds. In each ‘session’, participants are asked to ‘conduct’ a sound. Sessions are broken into five ‘levels’. At level 1, Participants are asked to conduct a sound of low intimacy. With each successive level, they are asked to increase intimacy. At level 5, they are asked to conduct their most intimate sounds.
路 The diagram shows major areas of the body that produce distinct sounds. This is provided only as a guide. You are encouraged to experiment and be imaginative in your sound making.
Instructions 1 You and your partner sit on opposite sides of the wall, facing each other. 2 Wear the stethoscope. Firmly insert the eartips in your ears. 3 When the light blinks, your session will begin. You will first ‘conduct’ a sound of level 1 intimacy. Place the chest-piece on a part of your body that you feel is the least intimate. Hold the chest-piece still. 4 When the light blinks a second time, place the stethoscope on a part of your body that you feel is more intimate than the one proceeding it. 5 There are 5 levels. You will have one minute for each level. Increase the intimacy of your sound with each successive level. 6 Your session ends when the timer blinks three times in short succession.
Tips · Keep the chest-piece steady when in contact with a surface. · Avoid tapping or talking into the chest piece. This could cause serious damage to the ear drums. · Be creative in your sound making. · Most importantly, listen to your partner’s sounds.
Exit A
Entrance B
Entrance A
Exit B
Timer
Dividing wall
Ear-piece
Chest-piece