Something other than the absence of sound

Abstract

“Something Other Than The Absence Of Sound” is a three-part moving image installation derived from a desire to seek for silence amidst the overwhelming and chaotic rhythm of a modern city life. The need to survive in this developing world calls for constant movement and activity. Silence has thus become an elusive “commodity” of sorts, for those looking for a quiet respite in this saturated world. This project is an attempt to recreate different visual experiences that have been inspired by my explorations of certain aspects of silences we encounter in our everyday lives. These silences in question refer to that of a metaphysical nature, rather than of a religious or political nature.

In the process of this project, I was particularly intrigued with the notion of said silences being a paradoxical element, in which they exist as both absence and presence. The idea of silence as a form of communication is also explored, in which hand gestures of different meanings move in a performative manner. By choosing to deviate from the original intended medium (still photography) and deciding to explore video art instead, the aim was to create an installation in which viewers enter and encounter the silences portrayed in this project, thus experiencing a quiet moment distinct from the noise and chaos that permeates our daily lives.