Foghorn and alarm signals are examples of sounds that signal something beyond our control. Amina Hocine constructed an instrument from everyday objects found in DIY stores. The instrument produces a soundscape which challenges what we expect to hear. The works Foghorn Organ and The Instrument produce mesmerising drones, profound psycho-acoustic effects and a synthetic sound that defies the material from which it is made.

In ātamōn – a life unit, Hocine presents a new version of The Instrument. Here the organ is deconstructed in space to offer a unique spatial experience of sound. The term “ātamōn” comes from Old High German and means to breathe. It refers to the fact that the spirit is often associated with air and breathing in many languages. Through the organ, the spirit is given form, as the breath shapes the sound, and the sound shapes the spirit.

During the performance, the audience can move around the room to experience how the spirit, ātamōn and sound are formed and transformed depending on where they are in the room.