Formerly titled [BA][SS], this project is now called I _ , reflecting our focus on the spatial and sculptural dialogue between horizontal and vertical planes.
I _ is a collaborative performative sound sculpture by Boris Allenou and Shankar Saanthakumar, exploring non-hierarchical human–machine interaction. Rather than treating technology as a tool, the work treats it as a co-creator: an equal presence in a shared sonic ecology.
Premiered at Wavetable, Edinburgh (2024), the performance unfolds as an evolving soundscape shaped by vibration, resonance, and physical gesture. Two contrasting instruments form its core: one primarily horizontal, the other primarily vertical. These corporeal orientations embody complementary forces, human and machine, time and space, groundedness and ascent.
The horizontal represents the human plane: performers and audience together, rooted and tactile. The vertical represents the sonic plane: sound climbing, falling, spiraling through space, moving beyond intention or control. Together, they create a living system where rhythm and tone emerge from material behaviour as much as from human direction.
The performance becomes a meeting point, human and machine sharing agency, space, and vibration on equal terms. At its heart, I _ reimagines our relationship with technology as one of reciprocity rather than dominance. By weaving horizontal human presence with vertical sonic flight, the work invites audiences to experience sound as a spatial material.
First perfomed at Wavetable, Edinburgh 08/24.
