for Coachmans Park, St Mary’s
WHISPER seeks to reconnect people with each other in public space whilst respecting the intensity of COVID social distancing and empty cities. The project draws on the idea of a ‘Whisper Gallery’ whereby a curved surface is perfectly tuned to guide your voice from one side to another. By allowing a voice to travel an unusually long distance and connect two strangers, WHISPER playfully engages people in a physical space and mimics the strange disconnect inherent in digital communication.
The machine requires the participation of two people at either end and respects the 1.5m social distancing rule. In a time when direct physical contact was near illegal, WHISPER was a way to entice people back into their public space in a post-COVID city.
Penrith, NSW | COMPLETED 2020 | In collaboration with Office Feuerman | Photos by Hamish McIntosh