Hummm is a multi-channel sound installation that transforms listening into a physical, playful and shared experience. Visitors follow a path through pairs of sonic sculptures, each crafted from a different material. Combining ear-trumpet forms with antlers, the sculptures bring together acoustic function and references to nature, myth and ritual.

Moving between the forms, listeners become part of the acoustic encounter. Leaning closer, turning their heads or adjusting their posture reveals changes in tone, resonance and clarity. The sculptures frame the body at head height, creating moments that feel intimate, theatrical and sometimes ceremonial. Each visitor discovers the work through their own movements and attention.

An evolving composition interweaves original music and laments with distorted cultural fragments: military drums, warped carousels, echoes of Cabaret and The Tin Drum, and themes drawn from Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral march. Moving between spectacle, nostalgia and unease, the soundscape draws abstract parallels between contemporary Britain and the tensions of the Weimar Republic.

At its heart, Hummm asks how the structures carrying a message shape what we understand. Just as different materials alter the character of sound, social, political and media systems influence how voices are transmitted and received. Created in response to the erosion of respectful debate and engagement with opposing views, the work invites visitors to slow down, listen closely and consider how understanding takes shape.

Hummm was selected for Cryptic Nights award 2026.

Photographs courtesy Siyao Li by Cryptic.