Surdo System

SURDO System is an installation and workshop developed by NICS that proposes a different way of experiencing music. The main idea is simple: sound does not need to be only heard; it can also be felt by the body.

Inspired by deaf musicality and styles such as funk, dub, hip-hop and electronic music, the project starts from something that many people already notice in everyday life: bass sounds make the ground shake, vibrate in the chest and make the body react. In other words, even before hearing, we are already feeling the sound.

The project explores precisely this relationship between sound, body and movement. Instead of focusing only on hearing, it proposes experiences in which sound can be perceived in other ways, such as through vibrations, touch and even body movement.

Within this proposal, the partnership with Hemisférios contributes to the development of a vibrating tactile floor; that is, this floor transforms sound frequencies into physical vibrations, allowing people to “feel” music through their feet and body, making the experience more accessible and engaging.

The project is born from the idea of making the musical experience more accessible and inclusive. By exploring sound through the body, it opens up new possibilities for deaf people, but also creates a different experience for anyone.

The proposal is not to replace hearing, but to show that there are other ways to perceive music, and that the body is also part of this experience.

In this section, you will find content focused mainly on the development of the vibrating tactile floor and how it connects to the experience of sound.

• How sound can be felt by the body through vibrations and why bass sounds have this effect;

• How the vibrating tactile floor works in practice;

• The process of creating, testing and developing the project.

In addition, you will also learn more about the partnership between NICS and Hemisférios, showing how an artistic and sensory proposal can turn into a practical solution.