From the two central sound works in the exhibition, a series of rhythmic sounds are emitted, materialising into a profusion of ever-changing words in our ears. However, the words heard are not necessarily real. The phenomenon is known as phantom word illusions, developed by the British psychology professor Diana Deutsch. In continuation of Deutsch’s research, Tillegreen has begun a collaborative venture with researchers from the Max Planck Society in Frankfurt to conduct further studies into the phenomenon. The sound works in the exhibition are thus created specifically to evoke phantom words inside the head of the listener and these will change depending on how one moves in the room. Often, the words heard will resonate with one’s cultural and linguistic background, subconscious mind, and experience which, in the exhibition, paints a larger picture of how we each decode reality based on our various backgrounds.

Besides the two sound works, the exhibition includes a small series of abstract paintings and one of misty photographs of the surrounding architecture. Although we sense figural forms in the works, we lose our bearings in them. By offsetting the customary spatial, auditory, and visual layers of meaning, the exhibition confronts us with our own desire to understand the world fully.

If you would like to contribute to Tillegreen’s works and further research activities, you can describe what you hear in the work by scanning the QR code available in the exhibition.