Samip Khulal


Portrait of a Staircase





Project
Moving Pixels
Audio-visual interactive installation
VCUArts Qatar | Northwestern Qatar Exploration
Interaction Design
Sonics
Projection Mapping


 In a region where air conditioning is a lifeline against the relentless desert heat, the constant hum becomes an unnoticed yet defining soundscape.

"Portrait of a Staircase" delves into our intimate relationship with this ambient noise.  


An ever present hum reverberates deep and loud in a stairway column at my university building.  AC vents from all across the building converse here.



However, this loud presence goes unnoticed to most that pass by this space.



But when the people speak the language of the stairway,  
the space responds

.
The installation places LIDAR proximity sensors in the staircase's busiest corner. As people walk by, these sensors trigger an anti-sound that cancels out the ambient hum rhythmically. This allows passersby to shape the sound environment with their movements, creating a personalized auditory experience.

Additionally, the space responds visually. The system generates randomized gradients for each passerby, pulsating in sync with the hum.




Advisor
Peter Welz