Ceci n’est pas un être humain

Ceci n’est pas un être humain investigates the increasingly porous boundaries between biological and artificial sound.

In collaboration with makeup artist Emese Torma, I developed a custom mask designed to expose fragments of my face while slowly deteriorating throughout the duration of the performance. Concealed beneath this prosthetic, a small microphone positioned directly at the lips amplified intimate respiratory and visceral vocalizations. The trailing cable functioned as a visible, physical extension of the body.

Upon entering the stage, performers acting as guards ceremoniously connected this cable to a massive speaker system. The core audio consisted of heavy exhalations and guttural noises, manipulated in real time through an array of effect pedals. While extreme close-miking captured highly organic source material, the live processing synthesized these inputs, abstracting the human element into something distinctly mechanical.

As the physical mask dissolved over the course of the piece, the sound design mirrored this decay, gradually shedding its synthetic layers. By the conclusion of the performance, I stood before the audience completely unmasked, with the audio fully restored to its raw, human state.