“Stone Speakers” by Julian Charrière

Case Study

“Stone Speakers” by Julian Charrière

From October 17, 2024, to January 5, 2025, the Palais de Tokyo in Paris unveils Stone Speakers by Julian Charrière, a sensory journey to the center of the earth. Driven by an obsession with the subsonic sounds emanating from harsh mountain landscapes and imposing volcanoes, Charrière undertook expeditions to climb these awe-inspiring natural formations. His goal: to encounter and record frequencies normally inaudible to the human ear. This immersive installation reimagines geological depths-not as lifeless voids but as realms brimming with vibrancy. Within this echo chamber, Earth's hidden songs resonate, inviting visitors to feel the pulse of its ancient breath as never before.

The Channelge

To capture the elusive sounds of nature’s raw forces, Julian Charrière collaborated with Félix Deufel, a sound artist and composer known for his deep understanding of spatialized sound. Alongside Félix, Victor Mazon-a sound artist, engineer, and scientist-brought his expertise to shape the architecture of the soundscape. Drawing on seismic and volcanic data from research institutes, Victor transformed these signals into a sonified landscape, allowing visitors to listen to the Earth's restless movements in real time. The final challenge lay in creating a sonic experience that felt true to the depths-immersing visitors in the quiet intensity of the Earth’s hidden world.

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The audio solution

Stone Speakers recreates Earth’s seismic and tectonic vibrations through advanced sound technology, delivering an immersive environmental experience. At its core is the infrasonic layer, featuring custom-built haptic flooring equipped with 46 powerful bass shaker modules that convert electrical energy into physical vibrations. Visitors walking across the floor feel subtle rumbling and shaking, simulating the sensation of seismic activity rolling beneath them. Low frequencies are further enhanced by three cardioid subwoofers and a network of 15 speakers, creating a sound dome overhead. The entire 64-channel system is powered by 2 cutting-edge digital multi-channel amplifiers from Innosonix. This innovative setup combines sound, vibration, and physical space, offering an evocative and multi-sensory connection to the Earth’s dynamic processes.

The result

“Stone Speakers touches on the limits of our senses. It goes beyond hearing and sight to return to the body as a complete sensory tool. The body becomes an essential receptacle for these sensory experiences and for understanding the world around us. Today, we often forget the importance of our bodies in our daily lives. But this installation reminds us that the body itself is a formidable receptacle of experience, capable of capturing and feeling the world in a much deeper way than we are aware of.”