ICU’ is an immersive interactive sound installation made from a networked collection of interactive devices and custom software that renders data from the faces of the audience and their movements.

14 speakers and 3 screens surround the visitor with sound, light and images. A giant screen with abstract data towers over the visitor. An interactive scenario is projected on two screens that flank a camera reading the visitor’s facial expression. The left screen encourages the visitor to move while sharing their emotion. The right screen projects the data extracted from the visitor and reveals associated images and classifications.

At the same time, the data harvested by the AI facial recognition system are sonified to reveal the hidden processes at work. These sounds are diffused around the visitor: 9 ceiling speakers create a sound cloud and 5 speakers at ear-level create the data sonifications, emitting an array of digital crackles and arpeggiated granular melodies.

The system exposes the classifications that allow this machine to understand what it sees. Sound is used to reveal these secretive processes and to create an experiential reflection of the workings of this technology.