The final sculpture demonstrates a) the ambiguity of instruction and b) the importance of sensory interaction.
In regards to the first point; what exactly are you voting for? Is that “ONE OF US IS SILENT” referring to the plaster containers or the wind chimes? And if it is referring to the wind chimes is one meant to touch them? In my mind, the answer to both of those questions is yes. Touch the hanging structures, feel the textures and listen to the different materials collide.
And is that simple statement “ONE OF US IS SILENT” a form of propaganda? Because none of the six standing in front of it is, in fact, silent. But those five words make you want to form an opinion, they are there to seduce the viewer into finding out. So it acts as a not-so-subtle form of manipulation and control.
But aside from that, the more pressing question is how does one show whether they are in agreement? Do you take a bead? Has someone already voted and put the beads in? Once the plaster moulds were dry they reminded me of ballot boxes with little slots on the sides. This brings to mind the, so current, low voting rates in local elections, due, yes, to a lack of interest, care or access to education, but also to a lack of clarity. A lack of accessibility for those without a permanent address, without time, without many things, which, in a system which feels worrying out of touch in a digital world, make it impossibly difficult to have your opinion heard.
And as to the second part, the hanging, mobile-like structures are a sculpture which exists to create sound and movement. But this becomes sticky when the plinth poses a question, it casts a shadow of doubt over the piece so that the sound element has the potential to be made redundant. “ONE OF US IS SILENT” is so blatantly a statement and it risks making the viewer think that it’s a guessing game. Is the purpose to visually examine the various materials and decide whether they’d sing out if touched? No. But how would you know.