CMU School of Drama


Wednesday, February 09, 2022

Paso - a sound / touch installation evoking a time when mainland Europe and the UK were linked by a land bridge

Disability Arts Online: I enjoy the sense of connection with nature and with the past that I get basking in the atmosphere of prehistoric sites. The installation Paso created by William Fairbrother and Alberto Ruiz Soler for the Lighthouse in Brighton for their Re-Imagine Europe residency was billed as a ‘sound memorial to an extinct migration site’ – and as such held a similar attraction.

2 comments:

Louise Cutter said...

This is so cool! I love immersive experiences!! I have realized recently it is what I want to do with my career. I have always been drawn to art as a form of escapism. Whether it is playing music, watching a movie, playing dnd, or making art, it allows me to not think about anything currently bothering me in the real world. I want to provide this to other people, through creating hyper-realistic and immersive "worlds" and environments they can physically enter and interact with. Think of Galaxy's Edge at Disney World and Disney Land. You are transported to another alien world, when you become a part of that story. While not exactly the same, I see a lot of these elements in holiday decor, especially car drive-throughs. For a short period of time, you just get to focus on these beautifully decorated and lit-up scenes that distract you from everything else in life. They are great opportunities for me to learn about how lighting and other props can be used to build a scene, especially scenes that aren't theatre. As a lot of my education as a designer is for theatre, I love to explore design in other forms. I am most drawn to set and sound, the two things they seem to be incorporating in this exhibit. I wish I could see it!

Ethan Johnson said...

This installation is quite unique in so many fascinating ways. First, the concept of recreating the sights and sounds of a landbridge. This re-creation of the journey that would have existed for many people before us is so fascinating. Meant to encapsulate all of the human senses, this installation makes the land tangible, the cries of animals audible, and truly creates an immersive experience. With the sound, the use of motion sensors on top of headphones is quite innovative. This allows participants to take their own pace in the exhibit and spend however much time they need on each part, which is quite the challenge with performance exhibits like this. What I really love about this project though is its focus on accessibility, consulting with artists across the spectrum of disability to create an experience that embraces people no matter their ability. No matter what senses you have available, this installation makes sure that anyone can interact.