Scottish Premiere
A loudhailer often suggests the expression of power: a hectoring voice, the barking of orders. However, the loudhailers in Esther Kehinde Ajayi’s sculptures – painted bright red and mounted on tall plinths to tower over visitors – emit unexpectedly soothing ambient tones and soporific murmurs. Audience members can alter this sound by signing their own name, expressing individuality in the face of this authoritarian symbol and by yielding to the irresistible temptation to press a big red button.
