claire barrera links senses in sound totem interactive project

french designer claire barrera has created an interactive project called ‘sound totem’ where she links sight, touch, and hearing. the installation consists of a wooden base topped with several pieces of different colors, shapes, and sizes, each one associated with a different sound. in the middle of the tray, there is a container where the user is prompted to place and superimpose pieces, creating totems that once stacked, can generate an audio composition. according to the different selected combinations, the user can test the different sounds, and change them to his like, evoking different worlds.

claira barrera’s project thus invites people to place the different pieces on the receptacle, listen to the different sounds each one is associated with and composed different sound sculptures. the goal is to create and test visual and sound combinations at once, as micro-architectures that are created according to the assemblies. for it to work, the placing tray is equipped with a force sensor that can determine the weight and size of the pieces, associating each other with a certain size. the scale measures the weight of the added piece, transfers the information to the computer via an arduino board connected to MAX—the one responsible for playing the sound.

wooden base with several pieces

‘I don’t want to teach users how to compose music,’ comments barrera. ‘I would rather encourage them to listen to different sounds, and perhaps succeed in making these sounds as real objects, generating an opportunity for people to play with the immaterial. I hope it brings up a new way to understand and experience sound.’

playing with sound totem

a totem = a mix of sound

another totem = another mix of sound

possible combinations 

installation

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: juliana neira | designboom