Sanche Zev
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Title: Who Are You Looking For? (Part of "Yes, I'm Listening, I'm Hearing You")
Year: 2023
Medium: Installation with video, prints, and archival maps
Dimensions: Variable
"Who Are You Looking For?" is a 2023 installation originally commissioned for the group exhibition "Yes, I'm Listening, I'm Hearing You." The work repurposes a decommissioned 1960s phone booth from the Fremantle Port, transforming it into a tool for exploring rural soundscapes. The project began as a personal experiment and evolved into a broader exploration of phone booths as conduits for capturing auditory experiences across the central and western desert regions. Over the period of of one year I called payphones everyday until someone answered the phone, This resulted in a collection of recordings that range from spontaneous conversations with those who answered to incidental soundscapes captured when the line connected but no one spoke. Through this act of listening to both land and people, I aimed to capture the unique arid soundscape of these desert regions.
The installation features a domed phone booth, outfitted with fluorescent lights and a single screen that loops a video work. This video juxtaposes the recorded conversations with photographs of landscapes, which have been translated into prints through a degrading xerox process. In addition to the main installation, archival work is displayed above a bus port bench, consisting of maps printed on light box paper that trace the locations of the calls made. There is also a second screen showing the same looping video work.
The installation creates an immersive experience, designed to evoke the feeling of a roadhouse at night, allowing viewers to interact with the space and contemplate the relationship between communication and landscape. Through this work, "Who Are You Looking For?" engages with the themes of technology, access, and the built environment, offering a unique perspective on the intersection of human interaction and rural landscapes.