Campo Próximo (Near Field) is a live sound piece had as a starting point a series of field-recordings in places gradually closer to the space of presentation. Each recording underwent the following process:
1. The sounds are played in the dark. They are also recorded by a microphone placed in the centre of the room.
2. After a time delay the re-recorded sounds start to be superimposed to the original recordings, and the space is dimly lit. This time delay was proportional to the distance of the recorded site.
3. The original recording ends, and the process repeats itself (Alvin Lucier style) until the resonance of the room destroys any resemblance of the original sounds, any reference to the original place and transports the listener to the present room. At this stage there is a visual superimposition – a projection of a photograph of the room and the performers projected over the room and the performers.
A journey that started in Alcácer do Sal (64 Km away, 187 seconds delay) going through Lisnave in Setúbal (38 km, 113s), Pero Pinheiro (20 Km, 66s), Alhos Vedros (12 Km, 35s), Aeroporto da Portela (8 Km, 24s), Alcântara (3 Km, 8s), Cais do Sodré (0,6 Km, 1,7s) and ended with the sound of the presentation space itself, Rua das Gaivotas, where the microphone was 5 meters away from the speakers, creating a feedback loop with 15ms delay.
At the end of the process, the performers leave, and the work remains as an installation. The sounds create a loop of the sine tones (the resonant frequencies of the room), and the projection the of the performers remains as a surrogate.