Our stretching, sonic interactive wall captured imaginations (and a gold medal) at the 2015 Prague Quadrennial.

Over several months our team from Aalto university developed a very strong and very flexible latex, which was stretched to five metres wide, effectively cutting our room in half, isolating people from those on the other side.

By physically pushing the wall, people could interact with people on the other side, who could not be seen.

Using four contact microphones embedded in the wall, as well as an infrared tracking system developed by Niklas Pöllönen, I created an interactive sound experience that followed and reacted to people’s movements. Sound was triggered and manipulated by impact to the wall, proximity to the wall, and displacement of the wall, ie. when somebody pushed.

watch the full 2 minute explanatory video here

Lighting design by Eero Erkamo also responded to the user tracking.

We were honoured to win a gold medal for the ‘Best Exposition in the Student Section’ and also the Children’s Award. Here are some of the jury’s words:

“In this exhibition we admired the bold choice of a single material that has the capacity to reveal many aspects of performance design. It is a responsive material, inviting visitors to touch and feel. It is playful and interactive but it also establishes a really interesting dynamic between the visitors and the unseen operators; in that it has the potential to speak about the unknown and otherness.”

Our team: Anders Karls, Dan Palarie, Eero Erkamo, Guy Dowsett, Heli Salomaa, Ina Saarinen, Joanna Wojciechowicz, Lauren Sever, Mimosa Norja, Niklas Pöllönen, Oscar Eriksson Furunes, Paola Guzman Figueroa, Susanna Suurla, Teo Paaer. Curators: Sampo Pyhälä and Sofia Pantouvaki, Aalto University, Kimmo Karjunen, University of the Arts Helsinki, Theatre Academy