Whispering Wires (2025)

Whispering Wires 2025 is an interactive installation that repurposes a standard French telephone from the 1960s. Embedded within the original casing are modern electronics, including a Raspberry Pi Zero and audio amplifiers, connected to the handset earpiece and an additional speaker.

When a visitor lifts the receiver, the piece plays a randomly selected audio recording of a poem. The work draws from a custom database of over 3000 poems, acquired via an open access point to the Poetry Foundation's online archive. Software utilizing AI transcription (WhisperX) and language models was employed to automatically edit the source audio files, isolating the recitations from introductory remarks.

To evoke the specific quality of a telephone call, the audio output is digitally processed to replicate the limited frequency bandwidth (300−3400 Hz) and sampling rate (8 kHz) characteristic of traditional telephone systems.

The work aims to create an intimate, personal experience of poetry, delivered through the familiar interface of the telephone.