Rainbow (2011) Sound Installation for 2 x 5.1 surround systems 10 min loop

Stereo version of Rainbow (2011)

Installation view from the National Gallery of Iceland

Rainbow is a sound installation made from of over 1000 recordings of a single voice singing in a monotone hum. Repeatedly I covered every note I could reach from the lowest to the highest tone and if one might imagine the musical note representing a color, I used the full color spectrum I have available in my body. The fragile voice gains strength as it is layered on top of each other, one by one, gradually increasing in volume and tension. Presented in two 5.1 surround systems, the sound travels around the almost completely dark space in circular motion becoming a thick mass of sound no longer recognizable as voice.

speaker setup with lights on


map of 5.1 surround panning


© Dodda Maggý