Mehdi Behbudi/Underwor(l)d

Mehdi Behbudi/ Underwor(l)d

In Underwor(l)d, Mehdi Behbudi creates an auditory experience where sound functions not only as a sensory element but also as a spatial and conceptual structure. This work, extending from his previous projects, emphasizes the relationship between sound, time, and mathematics. Behbudi employs a combination of recorded sounds and mathematical algorithms to construct a sonic framework that returns to its initial state over a cycle of 86 days. This sound cycle, designed based on numerical relationships and prime numbers, embeds a sense of repetition and return, inviting the audience to contemplate the concept of time and auditory transformation.

Underwor(l)d can be perceived as an audio-mathematical experience, in which sound transcends its conventional auditory form and transforms into a computational and structural phenomenon. Through the use of sound codes and the interplay of various frequencies, the artist creates a space where the audience is not merely a listener but an integral part of the auditory process. The work also highlights the concept of shenavesh - a term Behbudi uses to describe an auditory experience that extends beyond mere hearing, leading to a spatial and intellectual perception of sound. Here, sound is not only heard but also materializes as a visual and conceptual entity within the mind of the audience.

This sound piece, unlike traditional narrative structures with a defined beginning and end, takes a cyclical and chant-like form - a loop of fundamental Persian phonemes composed within a numerical and deliberate framework. The presence of the voice of Shaghayegh Bagheri, a singer deeply engaged with Iran’s contemporary music scene, adds a human and tangible dimension to the otherwise abstract sonic construction. The rendition of Persian vowel sounds across a full octave, moving systematically down by semitones and returning to the starting point, creates not only a repetitive auditory experience but also a meditation on the nature of time, language, and cyclical recurrence. The playback and continuous regeneration of these sounds over 86 days, ensuring that they are never repeated simultaneously, emphasizes the idea that sound is not merely a recorded moment but a living, evolving entity shaped through interaction with the auditory space.

Within the framework of contemporary sound art approaches, Underwor(l)d elevates sound beyond its traditional auditory function, presenting it as a physical and mathematical material. By integrating the principles of acoustics, mathematics, and the philosophy of sound, the piece shifts the audience from passive listening to a deeper engagement with the hidden dimensions of sound and time. Behbudi demonstrates how sound can operate as an autonomous structure, where numerical relationships and sound algorithms shape an experience that is not only auditory but also conceptual and philosophical. By emphasizing sound’s nature as an invisible yet pervasive phenomenon, the work encapsulates an experience that invites the audience to uncover its concealed aspects. This notion is further emphasized through the linguistic play in the English title Underwor(l)d, where the addition of a single letter simultaneously alludes to both the underworld and the hidden realm behind language.


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