Thin Space: Inspired by His Dark Materials

room 32 ECHOES

Location: Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom

Inspired by Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy, "Thin Space" is an immersive audio experience that explores the mysterious boundaries between parallel worlds within Oxford's Botanic Gardens. This innovative musical project transforms the physical garden space into a sonic landscape where reality and fantasy interweave.

As listeners walk through specially mapped routes in the gardens, they encounter carefully crafted soundscapes that blur the line between the tangible world around them and the magical universe of Lyra Belacqua. The composition draws from both the garden's natural ambience and created musical elements, reflecting the novel's concept of multiple worlds existing in the same space.

Each pathway offers a unique auditory journey, allowing visitors to experience the gardens both as their physical selves and through the lens of Pullman's rich narrative. Field recordings, original music, and ambient sounds combine to create moments where, like the characters in His Dark Materials, listeners might sense the presence of other worlds just beyond their reach.

This installation celebrates the special significance of the Oxford Botanic Gardens in Pullman's work, particularly as the setting for pivotal scenes in the trilogy. Through sound, "Thin Space" invites audiences to explore the delicate membrane between reality and imagination, creating an experience that is both deeply personal and universally accessible.


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Thin Space

DUST 1

Gobblers

Subtle Knife

Daemon

Children

A Severed Child

DUST 2

Lyra and Will

Just Beyond

Alethiometer

Spectres

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