Since our senses allow us to take in our surroundings, they also influence how we perceive it. Gestalt theories of perception suggest that humans tend to select, organise, and interpret a sensory input based on the whole of its parts. As an example, if we hear mechanic sounds we’ll recognise it as a machine, not as its individual components. Since this process mostly happens subconsciously, the individual parts that make up the whole often go unnoticed.

The piece reworks the sonic environment of a production industry that has characterised the economy of Łódz since the 19th Century, originally consisting of weaving factories, and currently as the largest manufacturer of ‘white goods’ in Europe.

Following a recording session at the Museum of Textile in Łódz, the compositional process was approached by dismantling the inherent rhythm and sustained drone of the electrified weaving machines. Instead, the composition highlights individual sounds and displays a fragmented sonic image of textile production. By removing the sound elements from their context they can become the main focus of our attention.

The act of selecting audio for the piece relied on an intuitive, empirical process which means the composition is created through exploration: Particularly intriguing sound fragments were located and selected for further manipulation while other parts were simply discarded. The resulting compositional building blocks of textures were then arranged in time and space, and eventually framed by the installation-design.

In order to mimic the skeletal warp-thread structure of weaving, white string curtains were suspended from the ceiling. The arrangement of the curtains established angles and overlapping textures so that, depending on where the audience member would be looking, they’d be presented with different angles, depths, textures, and shades. This concept was also applied to the placement- and use of speakers: core elements of the composition were played through a centred PA, while sonic textures were dispersed and played through certain monitors placed around the room, adding to the sense of space and depth.

// photos by Marta Zając-Krysiak

// video and release coming soon

// thank you to everyone who made this an amazing experience<3