‘Follow the voices’ is a sound installation / experience which explores public interaction through audio, located inside The Monument. It is based on the works of Robert Hooke who was alive during the better part of the 17th century and the very beginning of the 18th century. He was predominantly known as a scientist, natural philosopher, and architect, and for being responsible for the building of The Monument. He designed it in a way for it to be used as a telescope to observe transit, joined by an underground laboratory. Because of this, The Monument holds a long history of experimentations on the subjects of gravity, the falling of objects, the effects of their weight and the role of height.
What is very prominent when speaking of Robert Hooke, is his many disagreements with other scientists and philosophers, which made him apparently quite dislikable. There is much proof of this, from anger fueled letters between himself and Isaac Newton, to a play called ‘The Virtuoso, being written to ridicule his mannerisms and ways of working. However, what ‘Follow the voices’ emphasises and plays on is the importance of these letters. In a time when social media feels like a toxic black hole that one goes to in order to quarrel with other-minded people, back in the 17th century that was done through long-awaited letters. Which makes the arguments and the topics themselves, feel quite comedic for our present time.
Demo audio experience:
In its current version, the text is performed by one person. As this project develops, it is to be decided whether this approach would be kept, emulating Robert Hooke's thoughts while reading these letters, or for each character to have their own separate voice.
Because of this, I would like to look at this part of history with humour. Many discoveries that seem like common sense to us, were a topic of philosophical discussion back then. Such as, whether breathing into a dog’s mouth, would help it breathe, which we now know as CPR, or whether vibrations change the atomic construction of flour, which it most likely does not. At least not significantly enough. But we would not know that if people back then did not ask and test these questions.
Based on all this, I have constructed the initial script for this demo sound installation using letters that Hooke had kept in his diary before his death, unable to publish them while still alive. It was not until the 20th century that they were finally open to the public by William Derham.
Examples of the letters used to create the script for the demo audio track:
The audience experience:
This would be an evening experience (past 8pm) and a maximum of 5 people would be allowed to book a ticket for a specific 30-minute time slot. They would be welcomed at the entrance of The Monuments by ushers who would, in a hushed voice, explain to the participants that there is currently a Royal Society meeting going on about the most recent scientific developments. They would say, “These Renaissance Men are truly carving the path of our future.” Because of this they will be led inside very quietly. From there, once inside The Monument, audience members will be directed through the space with the use of speakers, placed in different locations within the building and they will be individually triggered at certain points during the experience. No two speakers would have sound coming out from them at the same time. While listening to the conversations that these scientists are having, the audience members will be led all the way to the top.