Contaminate

Sound installation

Speakers are hidden in a room, in the background a sound piece plays.

The sound is a collaged mix of noises taken from the human body when in the act of possibly contracting or passing on a contagious illness or disease. It is intended that the listener is not initially aware of the sounds, but as they move around the space the soundtrack infiltrates hearing. Although the sounds have been altered through various digital effects, they are still recognisable for what they are. – the sound of bodily functions.

Created originally for the exhibition ‘Smitta’ held at the Malmo Museum of Art, Malmo, Sweden, the work was placed in the old chapel area of the museum. The idealised body of Christ, represented in the large mosaic pictured, became somewhat undermined by the ‘real’ body sounds that permeated the chapel. The work had quite a curious effect on the visiting groups of schoolboys and nuns.

Duration 5 mins (looped)