Object Voices
I explore electricity as a living energy — present in our bodies, hidden in batteries, flowing behind the walls of our homes, and capable of animating objects that often appear inanimate. In this workshop, I introduce the basics of electronics to children and explore with them such material qualities as conductivity and resonance. Through hands-on experiments with simple circuits, participants create small, creature-like objects that give voice to everyday materials. Together, we play with and listen to their sounds, imagining stories they might be telling.
The workshop unfolds through a series of modular exercises. Children build simple instruments using motors, buzzers, and conductive materials, discovering how sound transforms when these elements resonate with different surfaces. In some versions of the workshop, I introduce technology as extension of our ears: microphones and headphones allow participants to listen to their creatures more closely by amplifying their textures.
Over the past years, Object Voices has been adapted to diverse contexts — from intimate sessions with children of preschool age (Vozes da Infância, Aveiro), workshops for juniors (Lisboa Soa, Lisbon; IGLOO jihlava; accidental point, minsk) to intergenerational sessions (sonoscopia, Porto), involving parents, children, and other artists. Each setting brought its own character: site-specific explorations of courtyards, collective improvisations, or quiet moments of close listening. This flexibility allows the format to grow and shift depending on the group, the space, and the materials at hand, striking curiosity and awareness of the sonic potential of our surroundings.
pictures: Henrique Fernandes
maryia kamarova 