White Noise, 2016

Ayman Yossri Daydban’s White Noise (2016) is an interactive sensory art installation that invites the viewer to explore their inner world through the act of walking on salt. Designed to enhance self-awareness, the artwork is part of Daydban’s The State series, which encourages the audience to discover a ‘state’ within each space.

Visitors enter a darkened room where the floor is covered with nearly two tons of natural salt. The darkness, sounds and textures of the space evoke a time before the cacophony of modern life, when humans were more connected to nature and raw materials. A neon sign beams on the other end, bathing the surrounding space in a soft glow. The sign asks: “When was the last time you heard the crunch of your shoes walking on salt?”

Reflecting on these words, visitors are encouraged to tread on the grains, either barefoot or with their shoes on, and contemplate how they interact with their surroundings.