Listen This Way

Installation using LED lights, six battery-operated speakers
and UV-printed clear acrylic, in Lincoln Woods State Park

A sound installation in Lincoln Woods State Park, Listen This Way questions the meaning and experience of escapism. Humans may wander through the woods to escape screen glare and a barrage of emails. But we also compulsively turn to our mobile companions to consciously (or unconsciously) escape the present. 

Across from a parking lot, you can spot a strange light source. Walking closer, you see that two signs made out of LED lights spell “listen” and “this way.” You are intrigued. You walk further.

Various speakers hidden along a trail play recordings of digital technologies. Walking along the path, you can hear the clicking of an iPhone keyboard, the buzzing hum of an LCD screen, the scuttling sound of a scrolling mouse. In some places, these sounds collide and overlap. The sound sources become ambiguous as they mix with and replace the sounds of natural wildlife. Is it a woodpecker or something else—something that doesn’t quite belong? 

A visible acrylic sign accompanies each speaker. Upon closer inspection, you can see that these signs identify the sound source and provide a URL to a website. This website provides a digital experience of the installation, where you have to hover over spots on screen to reveal the sound source, and then click to play. A documentation film tells the story of the installation from live action footage. 

There are then three different experiences for the same installation: one in physical space, one in interactive digital space, and one through video. Each has different qualities and moods. The project weaves in and out of physical and digital spaces to underline the impact of technology in our daily lives. It asks us to become more aware of our surroundings and the sensory experiences that make up the world we encounter.

On the website, a visitor initially enters the scene without sound or text. Only after rolling over specific areas with the mouse will the sounds from the installation's speakers reveal themselves. This accidental discovery reflects the experience within the physical space of the installation.