Bureau of Sensory Affairs

July 2024

BUREAU OF SENSORY AFFAIRS
Study #4, Light Affect

The Bureau of Sensory Affairs (BSA) is an institution dedicated to sensory experimentation. Based in Washington, DC, and co-chaired by Alma Laprida and Nate Scheible, its mission is to provide a platform for research into the limits of perception, sensuality, emotion, imagination, empathy, and memory.

The BSA’s core obiective is to explore questions that arise through the facilitation of experiences, both subtle and intense, where aural sensation intersects with sight, touch, taste, smell and other mysterious senses.

Though no individual sensation is privileged over another, hearing and sound are the primary drivers to advance such research. Working in collaboration with other organizations and artists of all disciplines, the BSA is more interested in posing questions than seeking answers. Theoretical abstractions take precedence over scientific truths. And searches hold more meaning than findings.

On May 18, 2024, The BSA conducted Study #4 at Rhizome in D.C., examining the relationship between light and sound. Nine artists were situated in a dark space, exposed to different intensities of light, and asked to “translate” their sensations into sound. The study was guided by questions including: How do we perceive light? How is that perception reflected consciously or unconsciously through emotions and memory? And is that reflection concrete or abstract?

Daniel Barbiero: double bass
Natalie Chami/TALsounds: synthesizer
Chris Griffiths: synthesizer
Josh Hoffman: euphonium
Sarah Hughes: clarinet
Mattson Ogg: electric guitar
Eli Ott: amplified psaltery
Heather Stebbins: cello
Jonathan Williger: clarinet

Memorandum
DATE: May 20, 2024
FROM:  Nate Scheible
TO: Alma Laprida
SUBJECT: Factors impacting Study #4

The BSA actively tried to gather quantitative data in measuring the frequency, velocity, length, and tempo of responses in relation to Kelvins and lumens emitted by various lights. There is also a large set of qualitative and anecdotal data including timbre, texture, space, and melody that are not as easily measured but are equally important to developing conclusions in the study.

Subjects used a variety of instruments/sound making devices to respond to the various light. Each of these had different volume, frequency, and timbral ranges. As such, measuring these factors is relative and not standardized across subjects.

Many subjects expressed difficulty in reacting to the light in an unconscious or extemporaneous manner. Or, rather, some expressed being “in their head” or overthinking when reacting to the various lights. Further, some seemed to be affected by unrelated factors such as the shape and size of the bulbs emitting the light.

Retrospective thoughts by Daniel Barbiero:

In retrospect I wonder if the experiment was fundamentally about artists’ temperaments — if some felt more at home or inspired by certain light environments while others felt that way about others, it might say as much about their responses as indices of their psychological makeup/aesthetic disposition as about the stimulus that elicited the response. In my case, I could’ve played to the candlelit environment indefinitely, whereas for the harsher/more intense/more artificial lights I was playing against the grain. (I didn’t realize this until I saw the video.)

For more info on The Bureau of Sensory Affairs:
IG: @almalaprida @natescheible