Sound installation art and the intervention of urban public space in Latin America

This paper explores the relationship between sound installation art and the appropriation of urban public spaces in Latin America. Latin America is a continent full of contrasts, and in various places throughout the countries, space refl ects the history of each nation through its architecture. We fi nd pre-Hispanic pyramids coexisting with colonial churches and modern buildings. In the last two decades, these sites have been used for purposes other than those for which they were created. On the one hand, these spaces have been used to provide cultural experiences for people in areas that cannot access traditional venues such as concert halls. On the other hand, political manifestations have adopted such places as icons of social change, and sound has been used to provide a social/cultural meaning, using the space as a medium. These activities have changed the ways in which audiences and creators relate to sound and space. This research paper explores how sound art and technology have been used to re-formulate public space in cities. The study analyses the strategies of major works and installations (that have used space as a medium of creation over the last twenty years in Latin America) from social and spatial perspectives. This paper highlights the potential of sound installation art and intervention of space as a way to engage audiences in urban contexts.

Project Arbol:Deer-B-Gone: journal of a guerrilla sound installation

Project Arbol:Deer-B-Gone is a an outdoor sound installation of indefinite duration for twenty-three speakers. It takes on a guerrilla approach to sound installation art. Low-tech concepts and supplies, such as car amplifiers, aircraft cable, inexpensive cassette players, coupled with an overall irreverence for mainstream consumerism, created something like a Disney World theme park gone awry. The installation, which was site-specific, took place in a backyard in Princeton, New Jersey, USA. Yards and yards of cable were woven through the trees. Speakers were later mounted on the cable. Once in place, the speakers moved slowly along the cable. Each speaker played its own sound track. While there were some technical difficulties that plagued the project throughout its development and performance, overall Project Arbol proved to be a resilient installation.