SOUND FX INSTALLATION

In the final months of HNZLR’s tenure at Vita Motus, we realized a sound sculpture for FX’s Sound FX art installation series. Tasked with interpreting a sci-fi/horror theme aligned with American Horror Story, we envisioned an abstract creature: a pair of molting moth wings draped in thick black latex, a nod to the series' iconic Rubberman.

FORM DEVELOPMENT & FABRICATION

HNZLR parametrically designed the creature’s wing structure and modeled the giant hands that framed the installation’s entry ramp. To reinforce the insectoid sci-fi aesthetic, HNZLR generated an extensive library of custom 3D-printed joint sleeves using Grasshopper, each one algorithmically shaped and printed in SLS nylon. Over 200 unique sleeve options were developed, refined for structural coherence, visual rhythm, and feasibility within the project’s budget and print schedule.

SONIC LIFECYCLE COMPOSITION

HNZLR composed a three-part audio narrative tracing the metamorphic arc of the moth: emergence, sanctuary, and transformation. The raw material began with the sculpture itself—HNZLR recorded the latex skin by agitating, stretching, and manipulating it, extracting its sonic textures. These recordings were then sculpted in Ableton using warping, pitch modulation, and frequency shifting, then layered with mourning vocal synths and transient-dense modular synthesis patches reminiscent of hatching creatures, created in HNZLR’s home studio. The result is a richly textured and immersive soundscape, alive with alien impacts, hushed respiration, and unsettling stillness.

INTERACTIVE SOUND DESIGN

The installation featured proximity sensors embedded along the entry ramp. Using TouchDesigner and Ableton Live in tandem, HNZLR programmed a reactive audio environment: sensor data modulated resonances, triggered granular samples, and cycled through LFO-based movement to create an immersive, creature-like presence that evolved in response to audience movement.