The Ancestral Symbol installation: how unpredictable interactions are musically organized to create a sound of a Paleolithic cave sign

Abstract

Abstract This text explains how the visitors’ unpredictable movements are transformed into a consistent narrative musical form by using electronic devices with no central software to control them in the interactive installation Ancestral Symbol, created by Edson Zampronha. The installation uses a paleolithic cave sign as the basis for the connection of sounds and images through the visitors’ movements in the installation room, thus connecting art, archaeology and interactivity. This text explains the technology involved, the sounds and visual materials used, how the visual elements work as loudspeakers, and the strategic spatial distribution of all the elements to organize the installation.