Emotions in the crowd
An interactive sound installation about perception and responsibility
one’s own words in relation to today’s society
by Lucas Kirsche, Benjamin Imhof and Matthias Hassel, 4th semester, 2020
Lecturer: Prof. Thorsten Greiner
You are standing in a large room. All around you, lots of people are standing in small groups, chatting. The atmosphere is neutral. What do you want to say to these people? Do you find them likeable, or do they annoy you? Do you have some bad news to share, or do you simply want to let off a bit of steam with a snarky remark? Don’t hesitate to talk to them and see how they react.
The installation ‘Emotions in the Crowd’ by Matthias Hassel, Lucas Kirsche and Benjamin Imhof explores an important aspect of our everyday lives.
Using a tablet, the performer can communicate with the group of people around them. The spoken words are converted into text via speech recognition and categorised according to appropriate emotions. This alters the overall mood of the sound installation: ‘What goes round comes round.’
By applying binaural processing to the music and sounds, it is possible to direct words and phrases towards different parts of the crowd, thereby actively experiencing how a triggered emotion gradually colours the overall atmosphere.
If, for example, you utter an insult towards the front right, the harmony of the sound shifts towards dissonance, and you may receive an angry hiss or a menacing rumbling from the corresponding direction in response.
