Disambiguations is a grouping of interrelated sounding sculptures jointly developed by the artists: Suspended Plate, Cabinet, Hook #4, and Double Phase. Each work produces different manifestations of sound and object in relation to each other and to the viewer’s body.
Suspended Plate is a large wooden monolith, which acts as the tectonic source of vibrations affecting the objects inside Cabinet. An infra-subwoofer hidden inside the suspended monolith emits low, tactile frequencies. Cabinet, a take on the 19th century cabinet of curiosities, is filled with found objects collected by the artists. Two transducers on top of the cabinet emanate sine waves in harmonic relationship with Suspended Plate, causing the objects on the shelves to rattle, move around, and potentially fall. Hook #4 is comprised of four sharp hooks hung from the ceiling, carrying exposed speaker drivers. These speakers transmit the live sound within Cabinet omnidirectionally into the wider field of the installation. Finally, Double Phase is a pair of speaker drivers mounted face-to-face and electronically out-of-phase with each other, creating an unusual sound field, especially when the viewer is in close proximity to the object. The sound emission is made visible by the trembling movement of the exposed cones.
Taken together, the installation of the four interconnected sculptures mirrors the process or iteration and accumulation characteristic of the artists’ symbiotic practices. Neumann’s commitment to spatial sound as a tactile medium complements Betancurth’s sensibilities as a maker of assemblages of found objects and textures.