Untitled (A/C) is a sound installation which explores ideas related to Object-Oriented Ontology and institutionalized education. The installation is comprised of an empty window air conditioning unit which records the surrounding noise and then plays it back. The piece employs surveillance techniques and voyeurism to instill a sense of being onto the window air conditioner.  As it continually records and plays back the audio, the A/C unit begins to mimic the process of learning. The audio is recorded via two microphones located on either side of the A/C unit, hidden slightly in a set of fake plants. Viewers are welcome to speak into the microphones, influencing the content of the A/C unit's "memory". 

Equipment
For the installation, I created a 15 second tape loop. To do so, I modified two decks so that the tape would run from one into the other. One of the decks recorded, and the other played the tape. Additionally, the erase button was removed allowing for a continual layering of sound. The recording tape deck was connected to a mixer which split to the two hidden microphones. The tape deck which played the audio was connected to a set of speakers hidden inside the A/C unit.

This project greatly exemplifies my passion for new media art and installation. Recently, I have begun to include a technological aspect within my work. Utilizing these new technologies has added more complexity to my work as I experiment with programming, micro-controllers, mixing and sound equipment. I feel that part of being a contemporary artist requires one to familiarize themselves with new available technologies. As a result, I see the evolution of my artistic practice in parallel to the advancement of technology. Though this project uses outdated technology such as the tape decks and A/C unit, the process of recording, layering and compiling the auditory information resembles the complex system of the human brain. 

Add

Eli Goldstone