Project Proposal
Project Description
Rising above Queens as it stretches from the East River to Main Street, Flushing, the 7 train bisects a series of vibrant and diverse neighborhoods. Each stop along the way opens to different languages, histories, and vantages on the city. And yet, by nature of their location and juxtaposition, these are cultures in flux—origins that once may have been neatly traced are being obscured, with new roots being put down each and every day. This Sound and the City project responds to the transformative process that is relocation, urban coalescence, and media culture. Adopting a train car on the 7 as the site of an immersive sound installation, the composition will unfold in stages corresponding to areas the train passes through.
The Site
As a project that explores the nomadic condition and intermingling of cultures, the enclosed space of a train car on the 7 seems an appropriate site for this urban intervention. The train is constantly in motion as it offers a window onto the borough of Queens. Acoustically, waves will overlap within the metal, plastic, and glass chamber. It is also a relatively accessible space in which people are pressed together regardless of economic and cultural demographics. And finally, I know the 7. Having traveled its entire length almost every day of the week for the past few years, this is a project born of long observation and experience.
Technical Description
To deploy a location-aware sound installation, I will incorporate a GPS module whose coordinates will be fed into an audio programming environment. The sounds generated will be sent to speakers arranged throughout the car. Electrical power options for operating the speakers will need to be investigated, as well as the nature of their connection. Because there is a surreptitious aspect to the installation, sensitivity to time of day will also be necessary. This could mean the middle of the afternoon or the middle of the night. The important thing is that travelers be drawn into an unexpected space of evolving sound.
Conclusion
Through this project, I seek to reflect on the dynamics and consequences of nomadism and the influence of proximity.