Three Breaths in Empty Space

Three Breaths in Empty Space is an audio-visual installation by American artist and composer Bret Battey, that was commissioned by Phoenix to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the opening of our building.

Bret’s previous installation cMatrix 12 was the very first exhibition in our Cube gallery when we opened back in November 2009 – ten years on, we were delighted to premiere this new work to mark our anniversary.

Filling the entire gallery, Three Breaths in Empty Space takes the form of a large-scale two screen video installation with immersive audio. Created using custom software designed by the artist, the abstract sound and visuals shift continuously, recalling a range of structures and patterns from the natural world. As with Bret’s previous work, the piece invites the audience to become deeply absorbed as the audio-visual process unfolds.

Born in the United States, Bret Battey is Professor of Audio-visual Composition at De Montfort University. He creates electronic, acoustic, and multimedia concert works and installations, synthesising a diverse professional and educational background in music composition, computer science, design and electronics. Bret has exhibited internationally and has been recognised with many awards and prizes, including Prix Ars Electronica.

In the video below Bret talks about the making of the piece and how it fits into his wider audio-visual practice.