Maja ZeΔo is a sound and performance artist who explores the discordances between herself and the environment in which she exists. She was born in Sarajevo and now lives and works in Aberdeen, Scotland.
For a performance in London, she constructed a full body suit out of noise-absorbing panels, noise-canceling headphones, and vision-impairing goggles.
In so doing, she also constructed a new character called the Silencer that could roam the streets of London. Instead of the chaotic noise and motion of the busy city, the artist could experience only a tiny fraction of the sensory input that surrounded her. Silence replaced noise.
βIn the suit,β she writes, βI experienced a certain detachment from the environment.β Yet the people of the city who surrounded the Silencer, eyes and ears filled with sights and sounds, greeted the alien newcomer with waves and selfies.
Despite the barriers placed between the artist and the world, connections could still be formed with other people. βWe were interacting,β she writes.
β The Editors
Photography by Matt Cawrey, courtesy of the artist.