An interactive sonic environment derived from commuters' memories of the soundscape: a case study of the London Underground
Date
2007-01
Authors
Alarcón Díaz, Ximena
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Publisher
De Montfort University
Peer reviewed
Abstract
Through interrelating the Acoustic Communication concepts of soundscape with
contemporary collective memory studies, this research project explores the
relationship between commuters and the London Underground (LU) soundscape in
order to create an interactive sonic environment on the Internet. The methodology
combines fieldwork and artistic work, focusing on commuters’ perceptions of time
and space, and on their sonic memories, as elements through which to interpret the
space. The objective of the fieldwork is to investigate commuters’ aural memories of
the LU soundscape, including the feelings and sensations that it stimulates. The
artistic objective is to facilitate the interaction between the soundscape and its users
through an interface that allows a creative combination of sounds to assemble aural
memories into a sound-driven multimedia experience.
Twenty-four commuters participated in the ethnographic study during the three
phases of the research; they followed the researcher’s model, which combines the
processes of listening and remembering. The researcher thus developed an interactive
sonic environment where commuters can experience a non-linear virtual journey
through the soundscape of LU, then apply this as a means of reflecting on the
original commuting experience. The interactive nature of the process makes it
possible for individual memories to be linked in a creative shared experience; it
fosters the development of on-line sound-driven narratives.
Description
Keywords
soundscape, collective memory, London Underground, sonic art, ethnography, multimedia art, commuting experience, Internet based art