Walking Symphony, 2024

performance

Through a live music performance, five blind participants wear custom-designed wearable musical devices that enable them to interact with their surroundings. Each participant wears a handcrafted sensorized insole with an wearable single board computer and audio system, generating in real-time a virtual sound of an acoustic instrument with every step. Together, their movements create a dynamic, evolving symphony.

Observations:

• - The reverb and refractions produced by the embodied sound enhance the blind users’ perception of their surrounding space.
• - Blind participants can recognize one another in space through their distinct sounds.
• - Sound shapes body movement, making it more fluid.
• - Increased proprioception.
• - Strong emotional engagement from the participants.

Project by Luca Pagan, Federica Sasso
Supported by: Artist residency at Casa degli Artisti (Milan)
Technical partner: Institute for Blind of Milan