A Sense Of Surrounding

Participatory soundscape to promote environmental awareness. Presented at Ars Electronica 2024 (Linz, Austria). Supported by ArtEO / www.arteo.earth

Overview

A Sense of Surrounding is a participatory soundscape installation designed to promote environmental awareness through interactive audio experiences. A collaboration with artist and designer TomDemajo, the project explores how sound can function as a medium for connecting people with their surroundings and fostering a deeper, more emotional understanding of ecological relationships.

By translating environmental themes into shared sonic experiences, the installation invites reflection on the interconnectedness between human activity and environmental impact.

Role

• JP: Concept, system design, interaction design, sound design, and technical implementation
• Tom DeMajo: Concept, video design, sound design

Interaction & Experience

Visitors become active participants in the soundscape, influencing an evolving sonic environment through simple, intuitive interaction. Rather than producing individual outcomes, participation contributes to a collective auditory experience shared within the space.

The installation emphasizes immersion, attentiveness, and emotional resonance, encouraging visitors to experience environmental data and themes as something felt and shared, rather than abstract or informational.

Context

• Presented at Ars Electronica 2024 (Linz, Austria)
• Supported by ArtEO, an organization dedicated to environmental awareness through artistic expression

Why This Project Matters

A Sense of Surrounding demonstrates how creative technology can support collective emotional engagement with environmental issues, using interaction and sound to make complex ecological relationships perceptible and experiential. It reflects an approach where technology acts as a subtle facilitator of awareness, connection, and shared reflection.