SOund Wave

Language makes dialogue possible only when we subscribe to meanings that are given to us. Not knowing these meanings creates a communication barrier. The Arabic language is one of the most complex languages and certain sounds and letters do not translate to the English language effectively - which also plays a role in building the barrier.

This work plays on the idea that no matter one’s native tongue, all human beings have the same vocal muscles, and the same capacities to produce sound. This installation exposes the viewer to basic Arabic sounds through a speech recognition system with a visual reward if pronounced correctly. In this piece, the Arabic letters and their ‘kashidas’ [or connecting stems] act as vocal muscles that interact with a user-produced sound wave.

Installation, Typography, Physical Computing, Speech Recognition
Note: This is a high-fidelity prototype.