Client: Texas A&M University

Location: College Station, TX, United States

Completion date: 2013

Artwork budget: $3,000

Project Team

Industry Resource

Jeff Morris

Texas A&M University

Overview

Sonic Glimpses is a sound art installation along the central staircase of the Arts & Humanities building at Texas A&M University. A trip up the stairs is like a tour through the building and the minds that work within it. Passersby trigger sound recordings of the music, theater, and literature studied and made in the building. It lets daytime visitors hear the kinds of creations and events that the building's inhabitants are studying or planning. Each trip on the staircase gives a different scene.

Goals

Created for the grand opening of the first building at Texas A&M University dedicated to the arts and humanities, this installation was designed to give visiting dignitaries and prospective students a feel for the work being done in the otherwise quiet halls. Performers create for the stage, and scholars write for books: neither of these kinds of works is apparent to the visitor passing by these people's offices. It needed to provide a vivid immersive experience without interfering with communications or passageways. This is why the visual element of the work is so minimal.

Process

Artist Jeff Morris and designer Autum Casey worked with faculty and students in the building to collect source recordings representative of the kinds of research and creative work done there. Morris worked closely with building, safety, and technology officials to ensure compliance with high standards.