A Conversation Without Words was a participative project that took the form of an artist-in-residence working with older people living in a Continuing Care Ward in the Mansionhouse Unit, Victoria Infirmary, Glasgow. The residency took place between March - August 2006 and was hosted by Art in Hospital. During this time I worked one-to-one with people who were living in the hospital.

photograph: "a view from my window" by Alice Shambrook

Participants made sound recordings on a "sound walk" around the hospital, took digital photographs, made a "sound poem", made videos and stop frame animation. Some also took part in some sessions exploring the expressive qualities of improvised movement working with choreographer, Colette Sadler.

I made a set of "sound objects" which when moved controlled sound. These used Speckled Computing wireless sensors which were interfaced with Pure Data. The sensors include a combined magnometer and accelerometer, a light sensor, and a pressure sensor. The clip below shows some the first using the sensors to control sound samples held on the computer.

Several session were held with the sound objects, participants and the choreographer.

photographs: Pete Dibdin