These are technological mediated “embodied” interfaces to explore sense of place and sense of presence through telematic sonic improvisation, listening to relations involving body, memory and place, in the context of human migration.
This development seems to be relevant not only for people who have experienced migration, but for everyone feeling dislocated in the current world context of the pandemic and deeper human uncertainty. The first stage of INTIMAL Interfaces was developed at the RITMO Centre of Excellence at the University of Oslo (2017-2019). The second stage of the project is being developed with the support of The Studio at Bath Spa University, and I am currently working in a prototype of an INTIMAL mobile app to explore Migratory Journeys.
The interfaces in INTIMAL make relations between walking, breathing and oral memories. Walking is proposed as the movement in search for place and directions, and breathing as a bridge to feel presence (co-located and between distant locations), and togetherness.
FIRST STAGE
INTIMAL has released two modules in GitHub:
- MEMENTO, a co-located, and “embodied” navigation system of an oral archive with Colombian women’s testimonies of conflict and migration;
- RESPIRO, a live, telematic transmission of breathing signals, which are locally sonified in each location;
In the first stage of the project the research participants tested the system in an INTIMAL Long Distance Improvisation (a telematic sonic performance), between the cities of London, Oslo, and Barcelona, in May 7, 2019. INTIMAL proved to be a catalyst for creating processes of collective remembering and catharsis, within the context of Colombian post-conflict and peace building.
INTIMAL: Interfaces for Relational Listening 