Details

Inspiration

The cicada, singing all summer long, never finds herself destitute in Singapore’s tropical climate. Their permanent concert punctuates every day of the year, from morning to night, with almost no interruptions. Purana Usnani, the local subspecies, thus makes each tree its open stage, seeking a female audience.

However, the interweaving of constructions disrupts their incessant recital. From traffic tumult to jerky rumble of construction sites, the city superimposes parasitic frequencies, confusing its artificial rhythm with that of the cicada in search of a potential partner. Confused by many auditory stimuli, the females struggle to identify the serenades, mistaking the mechanical buzzing for those of the males. The same applies to their love response which is supposed to guide them to each other, yet is drowned out by the urban hubbub. Hence, the population is decreasing by the direct effect of noise pollution where we do not think about the consequences.

So, how does Tsikato come in?

Tsikato proposes to attenuate the impact of our noisy environment by offering the cicadas a sound parenthesis. This phonic installation, a theatre for their free expression, also makes the singular presence of these camouflaged singers more tangible.

This object is designed as a brass instrument, with a horn that amplifies and directs the calls. To invite the cicadas to position themselves in line with the instrument’s mouthpiece, the shape plays on the insect’s natural attraction to heat. With the interior black surface, heat is accumulated and diffused vertically like a chimney, defining the ideal perimeter for this ritual recital.

Focusing the sounds into a network where each tree is acoustically connected, Tsikato forms an orchestra in the woods, amid the din of modernity.