Troubadouring

Variable dimensions

2023

The selective silence of the highly sensitive people has become a widespread phenomenon of muteness. Yet, within the silence , their inner world unfolds like troubadours, narrating amidst adversity.

I have collected poems written by dear friends during varied emotional states and life circumstances. Crafting a sound installation with material language derived from the imagery and atmospheres in their poems, I transformed their poetry into instruments—metaphorically embodying the troubadour's "lyre."

In this artwork, the opacity within the silence transcends the barriers of the heart, their unspeakable transformed into a more clandestine, mysterious force, surpassing silence itself. Poetic verses, guided by the gentle breeze, resonate through sound installations, conveying a language that transcends the end of silence. This is a poetry of materials, a soul seated, commencing its song.

In my lifetime, I have experienced three times of pathological "aphasia" – after a car accident, during relationship conflicts, and due to misunderstandings with a university mentor. During these times, speaking became incredibly difficult, and I chose to silently endure external pressures.

After engaging in several late-night conversations with highly sensitive friends, I discovered widespread "aphasia" in this population. Highly sensitive individuals constantly live in an environment of excessive stimulation, tension, and pressure, leading to times when we lose the ability to articulate, forcing us into silence.

Yet, I found another commonality among us— a love for poetry. Collecting poems written by my friends in different emotional states, I aim to grasp the emotions that couldn't be conveyed through spoken words.

【Drinking water only at night,

Waiting for the moon's fullest light.

Nibbling on bread now cold and stale,

He dare not speak,

his wish is ale.】

—Haiyao Lan

【My stagnation, weariness, and fatigue.

Dust, willow catkins, and patches of light in the wind.

It seems the wind will always blow like this.

The wind of this city, the flavor of this city.

I deeply understand this is my homeland.

Yet, my hometown is elsewhere,

far from this place.】

——Xiaoyu Han

Today, I wore too thin.

Mother's tears, seeping through the fabric,

Moistening my shoulders.

As I woke from a midday nap,

Seeds within the hollow of my shoulders quietly sprouted;

Yet, I am afraid,

Afraid of the vibrant shoots growing strong.】

——Gan

【Within my tears,

Lies another version of me,

She is my most faithful companion.

She cradles me in water, caresses me,

She will never depart from me.】

——Hermia

In my friends' poetry, I see the spirit of troubadours. They navigate the edge of modern society and inner selves, singing of vulnerability and faith. This sparked my reflections on the parallel identity of highly sensitive individuals and troubadours.

As a student of product design, I am deeply invested in the connection between users and their objects. A troubadour's instrument is not merely a tool but a symbol of their spirit. Therefore, I conducted research on the instruments of troubadours throughout history.

I extracted abstract imagery from my friends' poems, and interpreted them artistically, using corresponding materials to interact and produce sounds, thus crafting instruments reminiscent of those used by troubadours. I aim to make the silence of highly sensitive individuals resonate in a manner unique to my expertise, creating a holistic experience that language cannot substitute. I wanted their spirit to be expressed in the language of materials, and the instruments themselves to speak for their poems.

In my silence, as steadfast as the earth,

I find my voice,

Narrating with thunderous undertones, akin to lightning, for all to hear.

— Rumi

Horsehair yarn envelops the framework, creating a secluded space reminiscent of a cocoon; within, resonates a bass wind chime crafted from copper pipes.