I am interested in researching how technologies affect our relationship to place, space and landscape. If we understand all developments of human behaviours as new technologies, we can see that “progress” includes a cycle of technologies finding solutions to the problems created by technologies. Social alienation is dampened by instantaneous connection. Noise pollution is blocked by noise cancellation technology. I am interested in these issues of social alienation and disconnection with the environment around us.
How can we study the affects of technologies such as the internet and mobile listening devices when we live within their functions? How can we remember what is forgotten?
My sense of urgency has been amplified by what I am learning in this year’s modules: multichannel and the digital sound design of environments are two examples of how we aim to create immersivity. To immerse in an art piece is to connect. The tools and levels of immersivity in art and entertainment develop as we live in the cusp of metaverse experience, or augmented and virtual realities becoming more integrated into daily experience. My urgency is a rejection of this development, so how can I express these feelings through the mediums we are learning in this course, when those mediums themselves go against my feelings? I use feelings to identify my practice as primarily an artistic one.
I think I would like to pursue the point that the environment is the most high fidelity and immersive medium of spatialisation we can find. I will build on my long walks around the city as a research practice and wellbeing practice, as I believe we can express and encourage wellbeing through art when it comes from a state of wellbeing.
Some points of research: noise cancellation, audiophilia, technology and memory loss, psycho geography.