breath, void, ground
SOFTWARE: MaxMSP
MEDIUM: Balloon, Speaker Modules, Amplifier, DIY MIDI controller
DATE: June 26, 2025
Photo by Femi Shonuga-Fleming, Wade Nobile, and myself
My MFA thesis, titled breath, void, ground, explores how the skin of balloons inspired me to see myself as both a balloon and a void, unable to feel grounded, always floating between cultures and identities. The air inside the balloon led me to investigate my own breath and its connections to my body, my history, and the land I move through.
In response, I developed a performance system that centers my breath in relation to the balloon, while grounding me through direct contact with the land. To control sound in real time through subtle bodily movement, I designed a custom MIDI controller for my feet using pressure sensors embedded beneath a yoga mat. I also built a portable speaker module for sound spatialization, along with amplifiers. This design allows me to bring the performance into nature and make my gear compatible with natural surfaces.