Los Angeles’ newest sound exhibition, Sonic Garden is now open at the trendy Sonos Studio on La Brea Avenue. Visitors can immerse themselves in this special display of music, science, and art. The studio itself is famous for hosting intimate concerts and events for up-and-coming artists and is a must-see attraction.
Sonic Garden is an interactive and experimental program that allows curious members of the city to visit and become musicians using the power of plants. English sound and environmental installation artist Mileece turns the studio into one the most unique art displays to reveal the inner musicality and complexity of plants’ lives.
Plants can see, smell, feel and even remember their environment. Like humans, plants can hear audio frequencies and show appreciation for certain types of music. Mileece uses the plants as instruments using bio-electrical signals which are wired to their leaves, which activate when touched by humans. The electrodes on the plants read the bio-emissions and interpret them as data that get turned into harmonic frequencies using Mileece’s custom algorithm.
Partnering with the Sonos Smart Speaker system, the plants are able to produce a vivid organic sound that transforms the living ecology into a soundscape. The exhibition is also an experiment for the powerful Sonos Hi-Fi systems. The speakers are challenged to reproduce the rich sounds found in nature rather than typical songs from the radio.
In the four corners of the studio, speakers are set up to represent each natural element. Guests can interact with these sounds through the installations that complement each sound. For example, the setup that plays the sound of water will spray a cooling mist. The center of the room is organized like a sacred garden with a border of pebbles. The interactive plants hang from the ceiling inside the border of pebbles.
For the grand opening, Mileece performed a fifteen-minute set using the wired-in plants. Her performance can be described as an ambient journey through nature’s sounds. The crowd gathered around her as she gracefully maneuvered her way between each plant, producing a different sound with each touch like the chords of an instrument.
When the performance was over, she thanked the crowd and everybody who helped make her show come to life. The crowd cheered for this new experience, which was unlike anything they’ve ever seen or heard before. The audience was then welcomed to touch the plants and produce the beautiful sounds they witnessed during Mileece’s performance. The room flocked to the center to try out the phenomenon themselves.
Plan your visit to the Sonic Garden. Check the Sonos Studio website for detailed hours.
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