Léa Boudreau

noise cocoon
10.30–12.13.2025

noise cocoon is both a generative sound art piece and a custom-made multichannel broadcasting device. The system captures and processes the noises present in its surroundings in real time, redistributing them to the listener in a personalized and intimate way. The device is built like a mini-dome measuring just under half a meter in diameter. It is positioned above the participant’s head, inviting them to listen closely and delicately to the in situ soundscape. The piece unfolds like a singular microcosm directly influenced by the immediate environment. In this project, the space is considered a more-than-human being – that is, an entity made up of several (living and non-living) interdependent and constantly interacting elements. Through the amplification and appreciation of noises and other acoustic subtleties, the work highlights the space’s vitality by emphasizing its unique and ever-shifting noisy character, and by reflecting its ecosystem, and the throng of agents that compose it. noise cocoon aims to encourage the audience to perceive the venue in a new light: not as an empty shell, but as an entity in its own right, itself composed of active individuals. The term “noise” (often used pejoratively to mean disturbing or unintentional) is used here to define the piece’s acoustic raw material. In this context, the noises that permeate the space are celebrated rather than considered as parasites. This approach echoes noise music, more specifically the Onkyōkei genre originating in Japan, a style known for its subtle and sporadic treatment of noisy matter.