VA AA LR: On the Spectacle of Sound

Abstract

The Oxford Dictionary's definitions regarding the notion of spectacle primarily stress the visual character. One of the definitions speaks about "a visually striking performance or display", the other about "an event or scene regarded in terms of its visual impact. " It is as if the only thing that seems to matter is what the eyes get to devour; yet what about the sonic impact? When we talk about spectacle in general, we usually indicate interplay between various elements contributing to a total experience that we experience as spectacular. Yet the visual component usually occupies a privileged position in our society full of tantalizing screens as it is. This assumption, that we are seduced solely by what we see spectacle-wise, is precisely what the work of sound collective VA AA LR counters with their performances, staged to affect more than just our eyes.