Noodle Talk, 2024
Foam, plastic, carpet, wood
16 x 3 feet
Noodle Talk was an interactive, fully functional listening tube constructed from pool noodles, foam drink koozies, and plastic soccer cones. Its materials extend a warm invitation for viewers to play within the confines of museum walls. Touch is usually forbidden in this sterile environment, yet with this interactive sculpture the rules of engagement change.
Inspired by playground speaking horns and the simple technology of the speaking tube dating back to the 17th century, this installation encourages visitors to engage with sound in a simple, yet fun way. Noodle Talk was an extension of my project, Murmurations, which opened as an experimental radio project exploring the immateriality of memory. In this rendering of the project, the immaterial becomes tactile, allowing viewers to engage with their memories somatically.
The choice in material references my research on the archaeoacoustics of swimming pools and other bodies of water. Water is a conduit for sound, electricity, and energy, and I think that it can also be a conduit for memory. My use of the classic foam pool noodle and the simple technology of the speaking tube is a reminder that these tools are within our grasp and only require our attention and intention to activate them.