Black Box (2014) – Christoph de Boeck [BE]

‘Black Box’ presents a black wooden volume that is suspended in the exhibition space. The bottom of the object shows a hollow in the shape of a skull. When the visitor’s head enters this cavity, the status of the object switches into that of an interface.

This device contains eight transducers which transfer spatialised audio onto the skull when in contact. The head interface leaves the ears uncovered so that the visitor will hear a balanced mix between the environment and slightly displaced version of that environment played back on his or her skull. This Black Box outputs a modification of the acoustic horizon that surrounds the visitor, on the limited 360 degree space of his own head.

The work can be situated in De Boeck’s ongoing exploration of sound as a manifestation of vibration, whether it travels through air or through solids. It definitely is the most intimate of sound spaces, after a series of large-scale work over the period 2005-2012.

Black Box is co-produced by z33, Hasselt for the 2014 Overtoon exhibition.