Roaming Silence, 2024 - Shaye Thiel
Presented by: Shaye Thiel
Biography
Shaye Thiel (she/her) is a London-based American-Canadian artist with work held in private collections internationally. In collaboration with leading neuroscientists, her current research explores the boundaries of sound perception for individuals who are hard of hearing and use hearing aids through large-scale participatory sound installations.
Based on lived experience, Thiel views sound as a participatory act via site-specific performative exchanges between participants and machine, mimicking that of her relationship with her hearing aids. Her work aims to transition the role of the public from observer to the observed via a deeper Quantum Listening.
"Roaming Silence", 2024 encourages viewers to gain a deeper understanding of hearing loss and relate to the artist's own experience of losing the ability to appreciate everyday sounds. All audio was captured through Thiel's hearing aids in her hometown of Tucson, Arizona, USA, acting as a time capsule of intimate moments by placing the participant in direct contact with the notion of loss. This work places the viewer's journey at the center as they navigate the space without mediation or interference from the artist, encouraging the viewer to contemplate senses through listening and self-guided movement while highting the fragility of sound. 24 isolated sound tracks will play simultaneously in the room and will increasingly get louder as the viewer gets nearer to each speaker - highlighting moments such as the artist's father playing piano, conversations with family and friends, reactions with wind and more.