Universals II

The work is based on a collection of vocal bursts representing diverse emotional responses – from sadness to pleasure, from surprise to embarrassment, and so on. The audio files are collected by Alan S. Cowen – a computational social affective neuroscientist at the University of California, Berkeley. The files are processed with audio software and imitated by humans afterwards. The most simple units, proofs of bodily or emotional sensations offer a perfect material to generate a sonic environment, that oscillates between closeness and alienation. The work can be perceived as a manipulation – real feelings might be produced through simulation, which has the necessary length and intensity.