Behind the Words is a collaboration with KLING KLANG KLONG
Behind The Words translates the emotional layer of political rhetoric – from across the spectrum – into an immersive audiovisual experience, allowing visitors to explore the power of language beyond the words themselves.
Throughout history, spoken words have moved our emotions. Words do more than share information, they shape how we see the world and reinforce beliefs.
Political speeches are a perfect example. These are not just statements of policy but carefully crafted narratives designed to resonate on a deep emotional level. A political speech is an attempt to construct a shared worldview, to define what is true, what is urgent, and what must be done. It is language in its most persuasive form, applied at the highest level of influence.
Focusing on the last five years of presidential campaign speeches in the Western Hemisphere, the installation presents the political spectrum in three distinct rooms – left, center, and right. Each room immerses visitors in the emotional landscapes that define these social spheres, revealing the persuasive power of language.
To do so, the installation builds on an AI-driven analysis of sentiment and five key emotions – joy, anger, sadness, disgust, and fear – alongside indicators such as hate speech, race-related stress, truth benchmarks, and automated fact-checking.
Our friends at KLING KLANG KLONG provide a detailled description of the analysis.
The data output is then translated into a musical and visual score: a blend of the 5 key emotions characteristics based on their appearence an strength throught the speech.
The code of the realtime software visualizing the key emotions.
The data output is then translated into a musical and visual score, allowing visitors to both hear and see how the speech unfolds paragraph by paragraph. Instead of judging, the installation invites to reflect.
Through shifting light and sound, visitors physically experience the emotional contours of each speech. This sensory immersion highlights the unseen forces that influence our political realities. Only by recognizing the role of emotions in shaping our views, we can begin to look beyond them.
SCHNELLE BUNTE BILDER
Huber-Pohle-Timpernagel GbR
Rudolfstraße 11
D-10245 Berlin
mail@schnellebuntebilder.de
+49 30 983 884 92
SCHNELLE BUNTE BILDER
Huber-Pohle-Timpernagel GbR
Rudolfstraße 11
D-10245 Berlin
mail@schnellebuntebilder.de
+49 30 983 884 92