Ambiguous Materiality: Empathy through tangible sound

Donna Legault’s interdisciplinary practice acknowledges non-human entities as sites for sensorial investigation and explores opportunities afforded by technology to extend the limits of human perception. Her work includes sound, electronic installation, sculpture, and performance. The intersection of these practices investigate the resonance of sound as a dynamic extension of everyday actions. Donna’s talk details investigative strategies for exploring the materiality of sound at the intersection of visual practice.

Her projects and installations, including Cymatic Imprints, Subtle Territory and The Drone Project investigate strategies for perceptualizing “immaterial” sounds through experimentation with sound generation, spacial extensions and tangible sonic interaction. The use of custom electronics and Pure Data in these projects will be discussed for their potential to transform or augment immersive environments with the intention of provoking an empathetic response through tangible sound and further, to explore sound as it may be experienced by other species.