In his residence at the Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre, sound artist Cedric Maridet explores the sonic and spatial relationships between the sound generated from the air management system and its surroundings. The Visual Art Centre is located within the Hong Kong Park arena. The artificiality of the different biotopes recreated in the park echoes the artificiality of the air flowing system created inside the building. Air cond- itioning systems in buildings are artificial air management devices that aim to renew the air in order to clean it from the CO2 breathed out by people and pollutants released by furniture and the building itself. It also comes from the characteristics of modern architecture to bring comfort and quality of air in- dependently from outside climate. Such a setting creates an idea of confinement in a closed space, and of the building as an autonomous entity. Air can be treated through a concept of fluidity in a physical aspect. However, on a phenomenological aspect, it is a quality of a space. The air conditioning system is also a sound generator in an acoustic design’s point of view.

The site-specific sound installation focuses on the sounds of the artificial manage- ment of air of the Visual Arts Centre. A sensitive to initial conditions generative system is implemented through the use of a chaotic map as in weather prediction. Sonic and spatial variations will be mapped according to outside air qualities such as temperature and humidity, as well as visitor’s presence in the exhibition space as being air-processing bodies. The result is a sonic simulation of a hybrid ecosystem, which focuses on an idea of breathing as a transformation process, and a new relationship between arch- itecture and its environment. Through their sole presence, audience is not only an essential parameter in the work, but also listeners to experience the created sonic space.

Date : 10－20.11.2006
Time : 10:00am－9:00pm
Venue : Exhibition Hall
Admission : Free

Behind the Scene : Artist Talk
Speaker : Cedric Maridet (in English)
Date : 11.11.2006 (Saturday)
Time : 3:00－4:00pm
Venue : Exhibition Hall
Admission : Free