Hotspots
After I had decided to shift scale from objects to atmospheres (see the “Object of Shame” post) and as the clock ticked down ever more insistently to the day to deliver the loaded mp3 players to the Museum and send the relevant files to Soundwaves (for those who want to listen on their own phone or player), I had very quickly to choose the locations for the ‘hotspots’ (the points where the different tracks should be activated). In terms of the personal appeal of objects (and the viability of accounting for their objecthood acoustically), the Fashion and Style gallery would definitely make the cut, so would World Art, two spots in the long and open C20th Art and Design space made a lot of sense and I couldn’t miss out Mr. Willett’s Popular Pottery.
I made some recordings up in the early morning wind at the Iron Age fort that marks the origins of the settlement of Brighton, thinking to use them for a track corresponding to one of the two Local History collections. Something wasn’t quite right about the recordings, even when assembled into a nice little blustery atmosphere, and I decided not to pursue that route. The two Ancient Egypt rooms were also promising but these – like one of the Local History rooms - had their own sounds from interactive and static displays and these existing sounds made them less receptive to the kind of intervention I’m contemplating.
This left five different hotspots.
In truth, part of the process of arbitration about which locations were included and which excluded related to the distribution of the spaces around the gallery. I wanted these to be as evenly spaced as possible even if I was going to leave to the visitor some choice about which order they would complete the hotspots in. I say ‘some’ choice because I’d like to direct the visitor to finish in the Fashion and Style collection on the Second Floor. Part of the reason I want the visitors to end up there is because (even with 14 days to go and no hotspot actually completed) I also have plans for a wildcard track, designed to be played to accompany the listener to “Noli Me Tangere” on their back out to the exit of the Museum.


