A Conspirator – The Breathing Choir is an acoustic study of the sound of breath and its social and political meanings. I developed a participatory, polyphonic composition for a choir within which each participant can actively explore how co-existence can function.

The sound of breath is one of the most fundamental sounds in the human environment. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic it became a prominent acoustic marker. On the one hand individuals listened to their own breath to try and detect the first signs of infection, on the other hand hearing other people breathing started to be perceived as a threat. 

But breathing is essentially about an exchange with the environment; oxygen comes in, carbon dioxide goes out. This oxygen is produced by photosynthesis of green plants and trees in connection with sunlight. The sound of breath can only exist in an unbroken cycle. We cannot breathe in isolation. We are dependent on this exchange and relationships. 

This literal process is a powerful metaphor about living together. It contests the separation of nature and human, instead promoting networks, holistic social structures and empathy.

Furthermore there is something inherently political about the sound of breath. Every living being has its own unique sound. This is a result of their physical, emotional and mental state. No one is silent or absent if the sound of their breathing is audible. This acoustic marker powerfully opposes ideologies of exclusion and sonically manifests a universal right to exist. 

I propose to inquire into these philosophical questions about co-habitation through a performative, sonic exploration of breathing. How can we exist in fair relationships and power structures? What does it mean to be part of a community? When do you decide to follow someone when do you decide to lead the group?

The first performance of The Breathing Choir took place at the Künstlerdorf Schöppingen in June 2023 within the frame work of the Seeing Sound Festival. I performed together with, Diana Menestrey, Inna Lipovets, Hye Young Sin and Duhyong Kim. It was accompanied by a process table where I displayed my research with recordings of, notes and a selection of objects to store one’s breath. (Fotos by Camilo Pachón, Stiftung Künstlerdof 2023)