We are used to thinking that a technical message is neutral. The starting point is a soundtrack consisting of 6 announcements in a train or metro station, in 5 different languages. Their juxtaposition produces an impression of strangeness. A dozen people were asked to transcribe their impressions creatively, in the form of dance, drawings, paintings, cookery or musical games. The improvisations of artists who never met during the lockdown were superimposed, creating a comparison and criss-crossing of their impressions of the same initial sound document.
Why did we make this video? Like any human activity, our technical messages bear our imprint. They have an emotional charge, linked to the voice, the language, the personality of the speaker and their well-being, their internal mood, at the time of the recording. Isn’t this suddenly obvious, when highlighted by the different artistic expressions and by different people, who add the filter of their personality to the original message? When it comes to technical writing, there is nothing neutral about the message or the format, and this is what we would like to discuss.
Sound track
Series of improvisations on the sound track (duration: 3 minutes)