Audition Improv

A computer with its camera on, a microphone, and a pair of headphones are set up on a table. On the screen, which recalls a one-on-one video meeting, Ahyeon Im waits for the next participant to enter. When a visitor comes close, she greets them, and the improv audition begins. The participant must answer her questions, and her reactions unfold along several branches. The moment the participant opens their mouth, an unexpected sound meets them through the headphones.

The audio of this work is designed to play only while speech is coming in through the microphone. It creates a situation that runs counter to noise-canceling technology, now in the spotlight for sealing off modern ears ever more thoroughly. With their own voice buried in noise, the participant finds it hard to judge whether they are speaking properly, or even to focus on the situation. Amid unprepared answers and a voice they cannot hear, will they stop in confusion, or push through the noise to complete this performance? Improv happens in that brief moment of choice.