Visitors to the Airbnb / A Wild Thing exhibit at the annual Design Miami international design show are immersed in a whispering narrative, courtesy of several Audio Spotlight AS-16i directional speakers, each providing highly focused projected beams of sound to describe various key elements. The exhibit, by furniture designing duo Fien Muller and Hannes Van Severen, illustrates the way objects and people interconnect using a display of items that adorn the designer couple’s own living room. The presentation replicates the couple’s home in Belgium, with personal possessions that include a painting by Van Severen’s grandfather, a sculpture made by Muller’s father, the drawings of their children, and furniture that the couple designed.
The exhibit’s multiple Audio Spotlight systems produce narrow beams of sound, similar to beams of light from a flashlight, that guide visitors with discreet narratives that give voice to the hidden lives of objects, what they mean, and how they come together to create the essence of “home”. Muller and Van Severen’s virtual home at Design Miami conveys their connection with their family and friends, while also recreating the intimacy and welcoming effect of actually being their houseguest. For any patrons looking to fully immerse themselves in the designer couple’s home, the Design Miami exhibit was available to paying guests to stay in.
The exhibit’s narratives are broadcast by the Audio Spotlight speakers, providing patrons with a connection to the designers without the encumbrance or unsafe tether of headphones. Featuring a thin design with built-in amplifier and VESA mounting inserts, the AS-16i Audio Spotlight was a perfect fit for integration at the Design Miami show. Click here to view Airbnb’s video overview of A Wild Thing.
The natural directivity of the Audio Spotlight technology also ensured that all sounds were contained to the display area, and none of the surrounding area was disturbed.
For use in gallery settings – or any other similar use – the Audio Spotlight directional speaker is effectively a singular full-featured device requiring no external equipment or wiring, ensuring that any exhibit has its own isolated audio, while the surrounding area is kept peacefully quiet.
Audio Spotlight in Action
The Audio Spotlight system creates focused beams of sound by using a narrow beam of ultrasound as a “virtual” sound source. While ultrasound itself is outside the range of human hearing, this innovative technique causes the air itself to change the ultrasound’s “shape” as it travels. This change leads to the creation of clear sound that can be directed to a precise location, with directivity and control far exceeding any traditional loudspeaker. This directional audio technology is regularly used for enhancing a wide variety of commercial applications including museums and galleries, digital signage, retail displays, trade exhibits, and art installations around the world. Holosonics was a proud partner in enhancing the experience of this gallery exhibit.
