Desabafo

By Lorena Ferreira : :

The Desabafo device was developed to reclaim a sense of privacy that has become obsolete in our interactions with contemporary communication technologies. Similar to the technologies that we have chosen to incorporate into our homes and carry with us, such as smartphones or voice assistants like Alexa, which continuously listen in on us, Desabafo was developed as an alternative gadget, intended to replace these devices of surveillance. Like many contemporary devices, Desabafo presents an appealing aesthetic: its “human” ears are ready to listen to the user. Interaction with the device evokes an intimate gesture, offering an individual a protected space where privacy is preserved, allowing one to speak freely or simply vent.

The technology integrated into Desabafo is based on the construction of a binaural microphone using affordable components. The circuit, handcrafted by the artist, embodies an aesthetic of gambiarra, a Brazilian concept referring to creative improvisation and homemade solutions to create and repair technological objects. Based on DIY electronics projects, the artist assembled an experimental microphone circuit applied to an object that reinterprets the design of commercial binaural microphones.
Using molds taken from the artist’s own ears, silicone-rubber replicas were produced to emulate the texture and elasticity of human flesh. This material enhances the user's sensory intimacy experience, revealing that the microphone originates from an actual human ear. The device combines reused electronic materials, silicone rubber, acrylic, and iron, resulting in a singular artifact that bridges technological function and sculptural form.

Desabafo functions as a technological assistant for privacy and intimacy, an apparatus where the captured sounds have a clear beginning and end, free from surveillance. In this context, the ephemerality of the recorded sound becomes the very essence and value of the Desabafo experience: a fleeting auditory exchange preserved only in the moment of its utterance.