contact sponge	sauna 02/the exploratorium: The second sauna iteration took place at the Exploratorium/SF, in February 2002, as part of the Sponge curated evening "Teleopolis." This evening examined the role of media and its effects on the urban environment. As part of preparations for Sauna02, Sponge set up a test site to experiment with techniques for creating mediated immersion without the need for physical enclosure, as in Sauna01. This Sauna, consisted of a single fabric cylinder, suspended 10' off the ground, under which the public could pass by. A single parabolic speaker/reflector mounted in the top of the cylinder, enabled Sponge to beam a carefully focused "shower" of sound onto the passerbys below. Semicircular walls further served to intensify the sonic experience, creating an semi enclosed acoustic zone that as well marked a boundary for pedestrian traffic flow. The effect of the walls combined with the parabolic created the simulation of something akin to a comb filter, with reflections from the parabolic carving out different harmonic relationships. A single motion sensor, mounted on the wall, enabled visitors to affect the rate of the delays as well as the timbre of the sound being projected through the parabolic. Here, activity in and around the cylinder served to excite or dampen the sound, much like the physical modeling processes used to simulate the physical processes of acoustic instruments.				quicktime: 1.1mb
	Sauna intro phase2 01 02 03 discussion support gallery
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